


The Swan Brief

by angstbot



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan Queen Week 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 07:47:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4339970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstbot/pseuds/angstbot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Graduate student Emma Swan and art dealer Regina Mills cooked up a silly little theory about a recent assassination, and now someone’s trying to kill them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is, of course, a riff on The Pelican Brief with a SQ twist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swan Queen Week: Bedsharing

_July 12_

“You’re joking.” Regina was thoroughly appalled.

“Look, I’m not thrilled either, but this is the room we can afford,” Emma sighed.

“But there’s only one bed!” The bourgeois gallery owner turned to her as if she’d surely agree this was practically a violation of the Geneva Convention.

The blonde snorted. She was used to sharing beds with acquaintances trying to make her department’s travel stipends stretch at academic conferences, and with foster siblings sometimes before that, and found Regina’s horror almost funny. Almost. “In case you’ve forgotten, someone’s trying to kill us, so if you wanna use a credit card and leave a data trail be my guest and it was nice knowing you. But with the cash we had, this is it.” She walked fully into the room and set her bag down, indicating that _she_ , at least, was staying right here.

“Fine,” Regina huffed, letting the door close with a hydraulic whisper. “But I need three pillows.”

This woman was too much. “God damn it, can you stop acting like a queen for two seconds?” Emma exploded, the stress of the danger they were in combined with the older woman’s stubbornness suddenly too much. “There are four pillows and two of us. That means we each get two.”

Regina stiffened at the accusation of being demanding. “I need two for my neck and something to wrap my leg around or my back hurts,” she insisted.

“Fine, you can wrap it around me,” Emma conceded gruffly, feeling guilty for suggesting she was just being difficult.

But that did not appease the gallery owner in the slightest. “Miss Swan, you may be an excellent lay, but don’t try to cuddle me,” she snapped. “We are _not_ dating.”

The blonde raised a speculative eyebrow. “You think I’m good in bed, huh? Wanna go again?”

“Oh my god, you’re impossible!” Okay, so that was not the effect Emma was going for. “How can you think about sex at a time like this?” Regina demanded.

“Can you think of any other time we get along?” Emma snapped back, losing her patience entirely.

“Oh, fuck you,” the gallery owner said, her voice low and dangerous.

“I’m trying!”

Regina looked at her in pure loathing, reached for the remote, and flipped on the news. Emma gave her a little side eye, but settled onto her side of the bed to watch. Okay, so there was one more thing they had in common.

**

_June 26_

As first dates went, it was going alright, Emma supposed. Regina was painfully hot, but also weirdly standoffish for someone who’d agreed to go out with her. Maybe standoffish wasn’t the right word. Reserved, maybe, like she wasn’t in a hurry to open up.

She didn’t exactly blame her; they were kind of oil and water. Emma was a product of the foster system and a working-class girl to the core despite her current occupation as a doctoral student. Cultured, she wasn’t. Regina Mills, on the other hand, owned an art gallery. She was as classy as they came and her shoes alone were probably worth more than Emma’s car.

And so the blonde had figured she should book a reservation at the new fancy small-plates place the faculty were always talking about. It was, like, her entire month’s food budget, and she had no idea what most of the things on the menu even _were_ , but she figured it was important to make a good impression, because Regina was smart and gorgeous and could damn well _wear_ some clothes.

Emma was sure she was getting away with the act, too, until the gallery owner rested her chin in her hand, looked at her with amusement touched with softness, and murmured, “You’re trying too hard.”

“Um, what?” Smooth, Swan.

“It’s pretty clear you’re out of your comfort zone,” Regina explained very kindly. “Don’t get me wrong, you get points for trying to impress me and take me someplace I’d like, but I don’t need a fancy restaurant.”

“If you don’t like it we could, um-” Fuck. Fuck. She really liked this one.

“No, Emma,” the older woman reassured her, reaching across the table to grip her hand. “I _do_ like it. But I want you to also enjoy yourself. And I’m just as happy at some hole-in-the-wall neighborhood gem. People always think I’m such a queen, but I’m kind of a simple girl at heart. Just looking for the right person.”

Emma’s heart sank. “I blew it, didn’t I?”

“Ordinarily, yes,” Regina admitted. “However, I like you enough to find this charming. Let me order and then scrap whatever upscale bar you were planning to force yourself to be uncomfortable in and take me where you hang out. I want to know _you_ , Emma Swan.”

And so after dinner they found themselves at the neighborhood pub around the corner from Emma’s place. The drinks were cheap, the pours generous, and the dudes watching sports were not terribly obnoxious. They settled into an easy patter of conversation, Regina quick-witted, ready to tease, and remarkably well-versed in politics.

When the older woman went to the ladies’ room, Emma took a glance at her Twitter feed and promptly spilled both her microbrew and Regina’s apple cider as she fumbled her phone in shock. She was still staring at it when the gallery owner returned minutes later.

“Were you planning to clean that up?” Regina teased as she stared down at the mess of liquid on her chair and the floor.

“They killed ‘em” was all the blonde could sputter.

The older woman blinked, utterly baffled. “What? Who?”

“Gordon and Boyle,” she answered, then turned to the bartender without bothering to explain. “Hey, Graham, can we turn on the news?”

“Swan, you’re lucky it’s a slow night,” the man said with mock-exasperation, but did what she’d asked.

“Gordon and- the Supremes?” Regina said, seeming to place them suddenly.

“Yeah!” Emma exclaimed, eyes glued to the TV, which had wall-to-wall coverage. “Two justices in a day. That’s insane!”

“That must be motivated,” Regina murmured, moving around to Emma’s side of the table, which was dry and had a better view.

“I know, right?”

“But who- they have nothing in common,” the gallery owner thought out loud. “They vote entirely opposite from each other on everything.”

“Seriously. Have they ever been on the same side in any case?”

“Well they’ve both been on the court since Gordon was confirmed 5 years ago-” Regina began, and off they went, spinning theories about who might have had the motivation to assassinate two Supreme Court justices. It was possibly the weirdest first date ever, but for the two of them, it turned out to be kind of perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a very belated entry for SQW jealousy.

_June 29_

Emma had a definite spring in her step. She’d waited a few days to not seem too eager, sent flowers to Regina’s gallery this morning, and now she was going to drop by on her way to work and ask for a second date. Having taken the older woman’s comments about the last time they’d gone out to heart, she’d chosen something less fancy and more in line with their mutual interests—coincidentally enough, the traveling historical exhibit on the Supreme Court was opening this weekend, and afterward they would go for gelato.

The blonde swung through the front door of the gallery space and was a few steps inside before her eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight, but when they did she was startled to see a very well-dressed blonde standing way inside Regina’s personal space. As soon as her mind processed it, Emma stopped dead in her tracks. Had she misjudged how well the date had gone? Had Regina written her off and moved on? What was she thinking just showing up instead of calling or texting, anyway? She should go, now, before she was spotted.

Emma had just made the turn back toward the entrance when she heard Regina call to her. “Emma! What a lovely surprise.”

Emma took a deep breath and plastered what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face before she turned back. “Hey, uh, thought I’d come by and say hi?” That wasn’t awkward at all. “But, like, if you’re busy I can come back later.” Yeah, she was officially uncool.

“Not at all,” the gallery owner insisted. “Mal was just leaving. Weren’t you, dear?” she added, in a tone with a shade of force.

“Now why would I do that?” the other blonde drawled.  “Things just got interesting. Is this the one you went on the date with?” She eyed Emma speculatively.

Emma saw Regina’s jaw tighten, but was answering before the gallery owner could say whatever she intended, “Yes, I am.” She was damned if she was going to be talked about as if she wasn’t even here. “And you are?” She gave her fakest, politest smile.

“Mal is a good friend,” Regina explained.

The other blonde laughed unpleasantly. “Oh honey, we were more than _friends_.” Emma felt jealousy spike in her chest.

“And the operative word is ‘were,’” Regina said, a bit sharper now.

“We could be again,” Mal purred, instantly soft and seductive. Emma was a little impressed, despite herself.

But Regina wasn’t. “Not on your life.”

“For that?” Mal scoffed, tipping her head at Emma, who was back to disliking her very much.

“Being with you is not in my best interest,” the gallery owner said, and oh, Emma did not ever want to be on the receiving end of that fire.

“Fine,” Mal huffed. “Have fun with this . . . _child_ ,” she sneered, looking Emma up and down dismissively before brushing past her as she walked, with pointed calmness, out the door.

When Emma turned back to look at Regina, the older woman gave her a tight smile. “Hope you’re enjoying your second visit to my gallery, dear.”

The blonde chuckled with wry amusement. “I definitely liked it more the first time.”

**

_June 21_

“Fuck. Fuck!” Emma knew she should have brought an umbrella. The sky had looked like it was going to open up when she left the house. But the coffee shop where she liked to work was less than a block from her bus stop, and she figured she could make it, but now she could barely see and shit, her laptop! She ducked into the very next shop front, not caring what it was.

She set her bag down on a bench a few steps inside and began frantically pulling things out of it, needing to make sure her computer wasn’t wet.

“While that _is_ a bench, it’s also a piece, so unless you have a spare five grand I don’t recommend dripping all over it.”

Startled, Emma turned to see a pair of shiny black pointed-toe heels, professional slacks that clung deliciously at the thighs, a crisp black shirt with the most promising tension at the top button, perfect golden skin, the ends of well-coiffed black hair, and then a face, god, almost inhumanly beautiful despite being somewhere between unimpressed at her disheveled state and amused at her plight.

All Emma could think to do was smile shyly and say, “Hiiii.”

The other woman cracked a tiny smile. “You look like you’re having a hell of a day,” she commented as she walked over to lift Emma’s things off the surface where she’d set them.

“Oh, fuck, sorry,” Emma said, moving to grab them herself, only to fumble everything she was holding, because what else would one do in the presence of a gorgeous woman who was maybe flirting with her? She squeaked as she grabbed frantically at the laptop, letting everything else spread itself across the floor of what she now realized was an art gallery. So smooth.

That made the other woman laugh outright, though not unkindly. “A hell of a day,” she repeated as she knelt beside the blonde to help her pick up, and god she smelled as good as she looked.

“But it’s gotten better in the last couple of minutes,” Emma grinned back.

Once they’d rescued the last of the post-its, highlighters, and tampons, Regina turned to her, speculative, and the way her eyes flickered over Emma’s body as she did didn’t escape her. “You look like you could use a drink. How’d you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?”

The blonde didn’t trust herself to answer, so she just nodded.

**

The work day was shot by the time Emma left the gallery, having had a personal tour and explanation of each installation from Regina. Regina. A name fit for the queen she was. And she’d agreed to have dinner with her this weekend! She’d better make it special. Women that gorgeous--and smart and funny, she’d found this afternoon—did not come along every day.


	3. Chapter 3

_July 6_

The second date was turning out to be a total success, if Emma did say so herself. She and Regina had devoured every bit of trivia in the Court exhibit, lingering, as many were, over the parts devoted to the two justices who had just been killed. The first time the older woman leaned in to say something quietly without disturbing other patrons, Regina’s breath on her cheek made _Emma’s_ breath catch. The gallery owner’s low chuckle at one of her jokes a little while later made her heart race. Soon they were sliding an arm around each other’s back when they had a comment.

As they walked the few blocks to the gelato shop, they were close enough that their knuckles brushed once, twice, and then Emma took a deep breath and closed her hand around Regina’s. The gallery owner looked at her sideways with a little smirk and twined their fingers.

Arriving at the shop with its riot of flavors both standard and foodie, they ordered a flight each to try as many as possible, and were soon holding out their spoons across the tiny table, all sultry eyes and tongues that sometimes, oops, caught fingers.  

By the time they reached Regina’s front door, Emma was totally prepared to cap off a perfect date by giving the best good night kiss ever when the older woman looked at her speculatively for a moment and then suggested, "Why don't you come in for some more cider and let's see where the night takes us?"

Oh damn. If that wasn’t code for _Let’s maybe have sex_ , Emma didn’t know what was. She suddenly was in desperate need of some liquid courage. "Got anything stronger?"

“Why Ms. Swan,” Regina mock-admonished as they entered the foyer, “are you trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me?”

“I couldn’t take advantage of you if I tried,” Emma chuckled.

“I am perfectly virginal and innocent, thank you very much,” Regina said primly, but it was so ridiculous she couldn’t keep herself from laughing, and that was so adorable Emma reached out and pulled her in for a kiss.

It began as playful, but soon the kiss deepened and they pulled each other closer, hands cupping faces, clutching hips, sliding on backs and backs of necks. Regina pulled away eventually, resting her forehead on Emma’s and chuckling, “I see you trying to corrupt me.”

Emma laughed. “Is it working?”

“It just might be,” the older woman said, batting her eyelashes as she pulled away and sauntered into the living room and over to what turned out to be the liquor cabinet. “What would you like, dear?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Emma said as she followed. The kiss, and Regina’s enthusiastic response, had taken the anxiety out of the evening, and now she was totally ready to go with the flow.

“Cognac, perhaps, since you wanted something stronger than cider?” Regina suggested.

“Well aren’t you fancy pants?” the blonde teased.

“I’m not wearing pants at all,” the older woman snarked, having chosen a little black dress this evening.

“Just the way I like you,” and then Emma went nearly cross-eyed when she realized what she’d said.

“I’d say I’m cutting you off, but you haven’t had a drink yet,” Regina teased.

“I’m a menace,” Emma agreed with mock-contrition.

“Very dangerous,” the older woman agreed as she crossed the room to hand her a glass and beckoned her toward the couch.

“This is possibly the most absurd conversation I’ve ever had,” the blonde chuckled.

 “Says the woman who went on with the docent for twenty minutes about the minutia of Boyle’s intellectual property positions!” Regina scoffed.

“It’s an important part of his juridical legacy! And they’re masterpieces of rhetoric, totally snarky, and-” Regina was kissing her, peeling the glass out of her hand and setting them both aside before pressing her back on the couch.

God, this woman was a phenomenal kisser, teasing and making Emma want more one moment and then exquisitely intense the next. As Regina settled on top, the blonde’s hands slid over her eagerly, mapping her planes and curves, shoulders and spine and hips and ass. When Emma’s fingertips met Regina’s skin, quite far up her thigh as the dress had ridden up from straddling her, the gallery owner broke their kiss as she arched and inhaled sharply.

The blonde took the opportunity to kiss down over her chin and along her jaw and allowed herself to slide both hands fully onto the older woman’s thighs. Regina moaned softly as Emma sucked at the spot below her ear, then gripped her chin to conquer her mouth again. Their kissing grew more intense, fingertips digging in, thighs slotting into place between one another, hips beginning to move ever-so-slightly. Emma reveled in Regina’s cognac taste and light perfume, her body heat, her soft curves and firm muscles, her sighs and hums and moans. Damn, if she was this sexy just making out, the way Regina looked and sounded being fucked was going to kill her.

And that was a bit too intense, too fast, so Emma decided to ratchet them down a little bit, pulling back slightly and joking, “I didn’t know IP got you so hot.”

Regina chuckled, “You are such a nerd. Fortunately for you, you are a cute nerd, Swan.”  

That was when it hit her. “That’s it!” she exclaimed, struggling to sit up.

Regina moved off of her and looked at her quizzically. “What?”

“Swan!”

“What?” The older woman’s expression was still totally blank.

“The assassinations. Swan!” How could she not have seen it before? It was so obvious now.

“Why are you shouting your own name?” Regina demanded, sounding annoyed now.

“I’m not! Swan- the- I just- it all fell into place,” she sputtered. “Our conversation the other night, the museum- I- I gotta write this before I forget it.”

“Emma, you’re obsessed! How can you be thinking about that right now? Why are you thinking about that now instead of _me_?” Yeah, she was clearly pretty irritated.

“I know, I’m sorry.” She really did feel awful. Way to fuck up the date. “And I will make it fast. But, I know myself well enough to know it’s gonna bother me if I don’t. Oh god, I’m the world’s worst asshole.”

“Yes,” the older woman sighed, “but the passion is attractive. Go ahead.”

Regina picked up her own glass and went over to refill it, and Emma whipped out her phone. She could put it up on Tumblr! She had just opened the app when the older woman came and sat down beside her once more, and of-fucking-course there was porn on her dash, a woman eating pussy like her life depended on it.

“Oh my,” Regina murmured.

She felt herself blush furiously. “Shit, I’m sorry-”

But the older woman simply murmured, “That looks enticing.”

Emma swallowed hard. “That can be arranged! Typing fast!” she squeaked. Her thumbs flew over the keyboard, connecting the dots of everything she knew about the two assassinated justices and what would motivate someone to attack both of them in brief, telegraphic sentences, just to get it out. She was dimly aware that the older woman had wandered away again, until Regina’s bra came into her peripheral vision, which meant she could not possibly be in it.

“Emma, don’t make me start without you.” Fuck it, that was good enough. She’d save it as a draft and come back to it. She hit the button and put the phone on silent. Nothing else was going to interrupt tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> h/t to @kc749 for helping me get a little less stuck and suggesting dash porn.
> 
> yes, there will be sexytimes in Ch 4!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in true angstbot style, a whole chapter composed solely of sexytimes.

As Emma walked through the doorway where she’d seen Regina disappear, her jaw dropped. The older woman was reclining luxuriously on the bed, totally naked, lazily playing with herself.

“Fuck,” the blonde choked.

Regina quirked an eyebrow. “What am I going to do with you?” she asked in a long-suffering tone.

“Let me make it up to you?” Emma breathed instantly, the _need_ of this washing over her.

“I’m sure we could arrange some sort of compensation for my trouble,” the older woman purred, and Emma could, just barely, see her mouth quirking with humor. “Where do your talents lie?”

“Talents . . . talents,” Emma pretended to contemplate. “I can critically analyze some laws. Teach you introductory college composition. I have been told I eat pussy like my life depends on it.” She shrugged. “Anything you like.”

“Those all sound quite interesting, but right now the last in particular sounds especially compelling,” Regina hummed, crooking one glistening fingertip to beckon her to the bed, and fuck, fuck, Emma was across the room in a heartbeat. “You’re awfully clothed, dear.” Regina sounded almost bored, but the way her eyes were roaming over the blonde’s body told a different story. Her eyes especially lingered on Emma’s chest, and the hungry look sent the blonde’s embarrassment about her hard breathing and harder nipples out of her head.

Something told Emma that this was a time for a striptease, and she let her hips begin to roll as she slid her shirt up and off, watching Regina as intently as she was being watched. Regina quirked an eyebrow and sat up on the edge of the bed, daring her to follow through. She leaned as close to the older woman as she could when she reached down to unzip her boots, and smiled at the sharp intake of breath the view down her bra evoked. The blonde planted a knee on either side of Regina and leaned so close she could feel her breath as she unclasped her bra, then deliberately brushed her breasts against her face as she moved away again.

Next Emma turned around and rolled her ass into Regina’s lap as she peeled her jeans down her thighs. She was just feeling a bit smug when she felt wet fingertips grip her hip, and oh god, Regina’s fingers were _wet_ , why was she not doing something about that right this second?

With her next breath she was kneeling beside the bed, hands running up Regina’s thighs.   

“Eager,” the older woman gasped. “But you’re still wearing-”

“No time,” Emma insisted as she stroked her cheek up Regina’s thigh now, eyes never leaving hers.

“Oh, I love how you desire, dear,” Regina hummed, then groaned as the blonde pressed soft, closed-mouthed kisses to her cunt.

Emma smiled, then slid her hands up and used her thumbs to spread Regina open, admiring her for a moment before darting her tongue out to make contact, almost too lightly to feel.

“Fuck,” Regina groaned, gripping her hair. Next Emma made slow, soft, flat strokes, and god she felt so good, the hot slickness of her, the velvet hardness of her clit under Emma’s tongue.

Emma moved a little faster now, but still stroked every bit of her. The older woman’s hips began to move, reaching for more, and her desire was so delicious that the blonde groaned against wet, soft flesh and began swirling her tongue.

Regina’s “God, Emma, so good” had her eager to give her even more, sliding her fingertips up the inside of the older woman’s thigh and stroking her opening with a questioning look. “Yes!” Regina hissed, and the blonde slid inside as the gallery owner’s fingers tightened almost painfully in her hair. Fuck, she felt incredible, hot and slick and clutching and bucking against her face and fingers harder now as she fucked her slow and so, so deep, rolling her tongue on her clit.

“Hnnh,” Regina gasped, then commanded, “Suck.” All Emma could do to reply was moan at the incredible hotness, and she obediently slid her lips around the older woman’s clit and sucked.

Regina wrapped her legs around her as she canted her hips more and harder, and Emma let out a muffled “Mmh!” and began fucking her faster as she sucked and swirled her tongue.

“Going to come,” Regina gritted out, and Emma could feel her body tensing already.

Then her back was arching hard, legs tightening around Emma, moaning and pulling her face into her pussy as she came.

Emma kept stroking gently, coaxing her through it, drawing out every bit of sensation. Regina kept her close while she rode it out. When the shudders finally stilled, the blonde smiled and kissed her cunt again, like she started, then kissed her way up Regina’s body, rising from her knees as she did and kneeling on the bed to press on top of her and kiss her sweetly.

It was slow and easy and sweet and so good for several moments. Then Regina was gripping her hair again with one hand and pushing her over toward her back with the other. Emma went readily, and then the older woman was kissing her hard, pinching and pulling a nipple as she pressed a thigh against her pussy and rocked.

When Regina broke the kiss after long, ecstatic moments, all Emma could do was moan, “Fuck.”

The older woman chuckled. “Exactly.”

She rose from the bed and Emma felt the loss of her keenly as she strode across the room to her closet. But then her brain shut off completely as the older woman pulled something from between her clothes. A hanging organizer. A hanging organizer completely full of every shape, size, and configuration of sex toy Emma had ever seen. Her jaw dropped, and she looked from it to Regina once, twice, thrice.

“Oh my, however did I get such a thing?” the older woman asked, her eyes wide with false surprise.

Emma chuckled, “I told you I couldn’t corrupt you.” The older woman held up a dildo for her approval. It was substantial but not excessive. She nodded.

“Virginal and innocent,” the older woman insisted as she seated the toy and stepped into a harness with the ease of long practice.

Emma scrambled up onto the bed to be in a better position, too needy now to have even a flicker of embarrassment at her eagerness. Regina smirked as she prowled up onto the bed, and even the feeling of the mattress shifting with her movement was driving the blonde wild now. In the next moment the older woman had her fingertips tucked into Emma’s panties, peeling them away from her sopping cunt and down her thighs.

Regina began moving up the bed again, then tipped forward and continued on down to get her mouth on Emma. “Oh fuck!” the blonde exclaimed as the older woman began licking intently, humming. Regina grinned up at her and then started swirling her tongue around her clit. Emma’s hips were bucking up into her touch now.

Then Regina pulled away. “Mmmh. I could eat you all day. But you need my cock, don't you?”

“Please,” Emma gasped.

The older woman kissed up her body, leaving a trail of her own wetness, then gripped her chin and kissed her hard for several long moments. Her hips slotted into place between the blonde’s thighs like they were made to be there, and as she began to rock the toy slid easily where Emma was absolutely soaked. Emma moaned into her mouth, and Regina moaned back.

Then she pulled back a bit to grip the toy and line it up. She pressed the tip inside, and then filled her up slow and steady, making her groan, “God, yessss.”

Regina gave her long, full strokes, out to the tip and in until their hips rested together, kissing her slow and deep as she fucked her slow and deep. Emma gripped the older woman’s back with both hands and pulled her close. The slide and press of their breasts together was electric.

Regina reached down to wrap her legs around her, starting to move faster.

“Nnnhh,” Emma moaned. She really loved how this woman fucked. Regina kissed her hard again as she thrust faster, harder. Emma was digging her nails into her back now, and she felt herself getting close.

Then the older woman kissed down and sucked on the spot below her ear, letting her hips drive harder, and Emma was coming spectacularly, crying out and clutching at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm into Readers' Choice VI now, so i'll be alternating Swan Brief chapters with those prompts, and i know that will create delays, but hopefully not as long as this one!


	5. Chapter 5

_July 7_

The morning after was hectic. Emma needed to teach unreasonably early, and Regina had to open the gallery, and that meant they rushed out the door, but it came with a quick breakfast and goodbye kisses and that made it feel much more like the beginning of a relationship than the end of a night.

It was fortunate that she was in a good mood, because after that everything got annoying. The phone company was blocking up the sidewalk and the road doing work in Regina’s neighborhood, and several men decided they just _had_ to try to strike up conversations with her. It wasn’t until Emma caught her bus—just barely—that she took out her phone to catch up with the world.

“What the-?” she muttered, staring at the screen. Her phone was blown up with text messages. As she looked, they were all from Tumblr, “Here is your login code and it will expire in two minutes.” No, not _all_ Tumblr. There were nearly as many login codes for the two-factor authentication on her Gmail. What the fuck was going on? Opening the Tumblr app, her Activity screen was a flood of notifications: likes and reblogs and nasty anonymous messages and holy- fucking- shit. She hadn’t saved that post last night. She’d posted it. And it had gone absolutely viral. And a fuckton of people were really pissed. Shit. Fuck. Shit.

But then, what did that have to do with her email? It wasn’t linked to her Tumblr in any kind of public way. Just as she was walking into her classroom, it hit her that the kind of people who assassinate Supreme Court justices don't fuck around with trying to brute force your Tumblr.

**

By the time Regina picked her up that night for their third date, Emma had convinced herself she was being paranoid. It was just a stupid theory, and even if she was now Tumblr-famous—or maybe infamous—it didn’t mean she was right. Hundreds of people had in fact poured into her inbox to tell her she was an idiot until she’d turned off messaging. The attempts on her accounts had stopped, too. That was just the same people being dicks, she was sure. How arrogant would she have to be to assume she was on to something, right?

“Sorry I’m a little late,” the older woman explained as Emma got into the car. “I thought I could work from home this afternoon and then my Internet was barely working and it took ages to get it done. The workmen were there all day.” She sighed. “If it’s not fixed tomorrow, someone’s going to get an earful.”

“It’s okay. You’re worth waiting for,” Emma smiled.

“Smooth talker,” Regina teased, but she was smiling back, and Emma willed herself to relax. This was just what she needed. She’d have a few drinks, get in some good dancing, and then have more spectacular sex with Regina and put this all behind her.

The universe seemed not to want her to find her chill, however. When they got out of the car at the valet parking station, the man who greeted them positively oozed. He was attractive enough, and had a cute accent, but the cloud of cologne and too-heavy guyliner and total lack of respect for personal space had Emma completely on edge again by the time they made it through the door.

As the alcohol began to work its way into her system and Regina’s body slotted into place against hers on the dance floor, Emma started to feel a little better. She didn’t quite relax, but the tension of worst case scenarios and daily frustrations shifted, stretched, re-formed, and became a pleasant coiling low in her belly. Before very long they were pressed on one another’s thighs, moving, grinding, eyes burning into one another, hands trailing fire on skin.

Deciding that she should probably go get them both some water before she fucked Regina right on the dance floor, Emma headed to the bar. As she leaned against it, waiting, a voice at her elbow made her jump.

“Regina’s still wasting her time with you, I see.”

It was the woman from Regina’s gallery- Mal. Instantly Emma was on edge again. “What’s your deal?”

“I want what’s mine,” the older blonde growled.

“Jesus, lady, she’s a person, not a possession,” Emma shot back.

“What does she see in you, anyway?” Mal demanded, grabbing Emma’s chin as if to inspect a racehorse. “A child like you probably barely knows your way around a cunt.”

Emma blinked at her. “I’m 28, not 18? What even-?”

“No one could make her feel like I do,” Mal insisted, getting in Emma’s face.

“That’s enough,” Regina cut in, suddenly beside them.

“Hello, dear,” the older blonde purred. “Come to your senses?”

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear, _dear_ ,” Regina shot back, her voice low and dangerous. “We had a good time, but it’s over. I’m not interested in you any longer, and it has nothing to do with Emma. I am finished with you in a romantic capacity, and your deep need to be an asshole has me not wanting to be your friend right now, either. Stay. Out. Of. My. Life.” And god, she was so unbelievably hot like this, dangerous and unyielding.

“You’re making a mistake,” Mal answered, no longer flirtatious but just angry.

“No, I don’t believe I am.”

“No one humiliates a zmaj,” the older blonde hissed, her eyes wide, wild, and Emma was instantly moving, putting her own body between them. Their eyes locked and held for a long moment, and then Mal scoffed and walked away.

Emma watched her go until she had exited the bar, then turned to Regina “What was she talking about? Nobody humiliates a what?”

“It’s not important,” Regina insisted, making a dismissive hand gesture. “I’m sorry you got mixed up in that,” she growled, clearly still frustrated.

“You were really hot,” Emma breathed before she could stop herself. She was so keyed up, and Regina’s chest was heaving, and she was kissing her hard in the next moment. Regina was clearly wound up too, moaning into her mouth and grabbing her with hard fingertips. They kissed fiercely for long moments until someone complained loudly that they were blocking the bar.

“I want you,” Emma growled in Regina’s ear as they moved away. “Here. Now.”

“Fuck,” the older woman moaned. “Yes. Bathroom?”

“Five minutes.”

**

_July 8_

The second Emma slipped into the stall where she could see Regina’s high, laced fuck-me boots, the older woman was on her, kissing her intensely. The blonde groaned with surprise and enjoyment as she pressed Regina back against the wall with a thigh between hers, silently thanking god this was an upscale establishment with a spotless ladies’ room.

For long moments they became nothing but mouths and demanding hands and rocking hips, until Regina broke the kiss to gasp, “God, Emma, fuck me.”

Damn, she was so hot, and in the next instant Emma was lifting up Regina’s leg to wrap it around her waist. As she rucked up the older woman’s skirt, she trailed hot, open kisses along her jaw. Then she moaned around a mouthful of skin when her hand slid between Regina’s thighs and found warm, wet flesh and absolutely no panties.

“Fuck, baby. So hot,” Emma gasped as she cupped her pussy and started rubbing slow and easy with the palm and heel of her hand.

“Yes,” Regina hissed.

The older woman was so wet in her hand that Emma quickly began sliding two fingers up and down the length of her. She caressed Regina’s clit with every millimeter of her fingers from the tips to the base where they met her palm, slipping her fingertips inside at the bottom of the motion briefly.

“Mnh! Yes! More!” Regina insisted in a whisper, and a few strokes later Emma pushed inside slow and steady. Fuck, she felt incredible, slick and hot and like she was made for Emma’s fingers. Fucking this amazing woman slow and deep up against a wall was almost painfully good.

Soon Regina was biting her lip trying to hold back her moans, and when Emma began pulling at her g-spot and stroking her clit with her thumb, the older woman gasped, “Oh god” and then tipped her head forward and bit down on Emma’s shoulder.

That had the blonde fucking her faster, and then Regina was digging her nails into Emma’s back, too, her moans muffled by the muscle in her mouth. Damn she loved how responsive Regina was, and on her next outward motion she withdrew and pressed back inside with three fingers.

Regina was moaning constantly into her shoulder now, her hips reaching, working, fucking herself on Emma’s hand. Then she was coming, clenching around her fingers and biting down hard on her shoulder as she shuddered.

Emma coaxed her through the aftershocks, then pulled her fingers out and just kept Regina close, feeling giddy with how hot this had been. Then Regina was grabbing her by the hair and kissing her hard and deep. When the kiss broke, she growled, “We need to leave, because I want to scream so loudly for you.”


	6. Chapter 6

They were giddy and enthralled with each other as they slipped out of the bathroom and headed toward the exit, so high on sex that they almost stumbled into people. The stillness of the night snapped Emma out of her daze a bit, but she knew she was still looking at Regina with a goofy grin, and she didn’t even care.

“Ladies! What luck! It’s the end of my shift. Just in time for you to take me home.” The sleazy valet was still here, and a walking buzzkill.

Emma knew it would take longer to make a scene than to let it go, so she just gave him a tight, fake smile and said, “Maybe next time.”

“Ah, but the night is young, and so are we! Think of the fun we could have!” He grinned in a way that probably most people found charming.

“You do realize this is a gay bar, don’t you?” Regina asked dryly.

“Of course!” he insisted. “I’m bisexual myself. And I bet that lady can wield a mean strap-on,” he grinned at Emma, who chuckled a bit at Regina’s offended look.

“Look,” the blonde said, smoothing out her face as she leaned in to peer at his nametag, “Killian, we’re not interested, okay? In fact, just give us the keys and we’ll get the car ourselves.”

Killian scoffed, offended. “You don’t know what you’re missing, but I’ll bring your coach, milady,” he said with a saucy eyebrow.

“The car is literally right there,” Regina pointed, clearly thoroughly disgusted by him now.

“I insist!” he exclaimed, and went off to get it.

Emma glanced over at Regina while they waited, and the steely determined look on her face suggested that she was probably going to get an excellent fucking when they got back to her place tonight. Emma was very okay with that.

As she heard the car start, she turned back toward it, ready to get rid of this slimy man as soon as possible.

Then it went up in a fireball.

**

It felt like hours before they made it back to Regina’s house. They had to make statements to the police and then Regina’s insurance agent. Just when they thought they might be able to hail a cab, an older man arrived, as sharply dressed as he was distressed.

“Where is he? What happened to my Killian?” he demanded. Bystanders just pointed at Emma and Regina, sending him limping their way with the help of an ornate cane. “What happened?” he said again, distraught, hysterical.

“Um, Mr-” Emma began.

“Gold,” the man supplied. “Tell me what happened!” he insisted.

“We don’t know,” Emma said gently. “He just- he went to get our car and then there was an explosion. The police are investigating.” She pointed, only too late realizing that the people walking around the wreckage of the car were wearing Coroner jackets.

“What did you do? You did this! My beautiful Killian!” Gold screamed, taking a swing at her.

“Whoa, whoa man! Chill!” Emma sputtered, trying to avoid him rather than fighting back. He was old, and emotional, and she wasn’t about to clock him.

Then it took even longer to give _another_ statement to the police after they led the sobbing man away.

And then, at long last, they were able to leave. Emma was grateful; she felt as sick from the sight of the crowds that had gathered for the spectacle as she did from the acrid smell of burnt plastic.  They huddled against each other in the taxi on the way back to Regina’s, both trembling.

By the time they arrived, Emma had made up her mind. She walked the older woman up to her front porch, then caught her elbow to make her turn. “Regina, it’s not safe for you to be around me right now,” she said earnestly, and god, how did this hurt so badly already?

 “I beg your pardon?”

“I think someone’s trying to kill me because of my theory about the assassinations. I-” This was embarrassing. “I posted it on Tumblr accidentally last night, and then everybody and their mother tried to hack my accounts.”

Regina stared at her for a long moment. “And you failed to mention this to me at any point tonight?” she asked sharply. Oh. Emma hadn’t thought of that. “No matter. Angry losers on the Internet hardly have anything to do with my car exploding.”

“What do you mean? If they assassinated high profile people over this, why not me?”

“It was _my_ car,” Regina pointed out, opening her front door and walking in. Emma followed.

“So?”

“So, Mal doesn’t like to be denied,” Regina explained, her expression tight and worried.

“That’s ridiculous!”

“She’s part of the Slovenian mafia. That’s what _zmaj_ is. The Slovenian Dragons. She absolutely has the right people in her address book. What she said tonight, that was a threat. I just didn’t see it.” In response to Emma’s shocked look, Regina shrugged. “Why do you think I broke up with her?”

“Oh come on,” Emma complained as she followed Regina from the entryway, “you honestly think- holy fucking shit.”

Regina’s living room was absolutely wrecked. The contents of her file cabinet were strewn all over, her computer’s innards were splayed on her desk, and the upholstery was visible where couch cushions had been sliced open.

“Now do you believe me?!” Emma squeaked. “We have to go. We have to go _now_.”

Regina didn’t speak, but began walking from room to room, eyes wide, surveying the damage. The entire place was the same, every conceivable hiding place turned out or thrown over. Her expression grew angrier and angrier, and when she had surveyed all the damage at last, she whirled to face Emma.

“You did this,” she said coldly.

Emma scoffed. “Oh, now you believe me.”

“They destroyed my fucking house!” Regina exploded.

“I know, they were probably looking for information about what you know, or, like-” She stopped. “How do we know it wasn’t Mal’s people?”

“Oh, now you believe me,” Regina parroted back. “You know what? I don’t even care. The bottom line is that since you came into my life it has been destroyed.”

“Regina, I-” Emma began, but Regina cut her off.

“No. Fuck you. Fuck you, Emma Swan. My car. My house. If you’re right, my fucking phone is probably tapped. If I’m right, they will come back and kill me tonight.”

That cut through Emma’s anger instantly. “Regina,” she said, her voice low and pleading, “it’s not safe here. We have to go.”

Regina whirled back to face her, eyes blazing, then stopped. “You’re right. And as much as I don’t want to be anywhere near you right now, I know someone who can help.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SQWeek: Mistaken for a couple.
> 
> It’s supposed to feel horrible and grinding, but my fic buddy says it's funny, so if she's right so much the better.

_July 8_

Regina immediately went and packed a bag of clothes and toiletries, while Emma went through the pantry for snacks. She figured they’d need them. Then, just as they were about to leave, it hit her.

“Shit, we can’t go to my house.”

“What?”

“They weren’t waiting outside _here_ , but what are the odds we’ll get that lucky twice? Fuck.” She wanted to punch a wall, though she wasn’t totally sure if she was angry at the situation or her own stupidity. “Do you have any- I mean, can I borrow some of your clothes, if they fit?” Regina sighed and rolled her eyes, but nodded.

And so they spent a little while longer, the feeling that they needed to be on the move growing by the minute as Emma tried desperately to find something of Regina’s that was vaguely comfortable and even remotely fit and ended up with sweatpants and pajama shirts.

Then, finally, they were off. Taking Emma’s car was out of the question, of course. Even if there was a chance the bug would make it from Seattle to Washington, DC, where Regina said her friend was, they weren’t about to risk that it was a car bomb too. After some strained discussion, they decided to hit the airport as soon as they could. If they could get a flight, it didn’t matter where, because being behind TSA security was safer than a lot of other places.

In the meantime, they hit the ATM and took out all the cash they could from their bank accounts and cash advances on credit cards. They knew enough to know using cards as they fled would leave way too many traces. They needed burner phones too, but the store wasn’t going to be open for hours.

And so they found themselves at a Denny’s across the street from the Best Buy.

“Do you want to split some pancakes?” Emma offered uncertainly.

Regina’s head snapped up from where she was staring at yesterday’s newspaper, eyes blazing. Then she relented. “I suppose I am hungry. But don’t talk to me.”

**

At 10:01am, they walked into the store. At 10:16 they walked out with new prepaid cell phones and as many prepaid VISAs as the cashier would sell them. At 10:31 they caught a cab to the airport.

But the only flight going east that wasn’t completely booked was to Boise. And it wasn’t until 6pm.

Emma very deliberately went across the aisle to sit at another gate, as she could feel the rage radiating off of Regina from any closer. The blonde spent her time searching for ways out of Boise. As she looked at one carrier after another, she could feel her dread growing. When she had exhausted all the options she took a deep breath, and then went to the nearby newsstand to buy some dark chocolate as a peace offering.

“Regina,” she began quietly as she sat down.

“Yes, Ms. Swan,” the older woman replied, sounding more tired than angry now after having been up since early yesterday morning.

“The only way to get out of Boise in the next 24 hours is a bus.” Regina sighed deeply. Emma held out the chocolate, and Regina’s lips quirked the tiniest bit into a smile, gone in a flash. “To Salt Lake City,” Emma continued.

**

She didn’t talk to Regina again until Boise, grateful that they were at opposite ends of the plane from each other. Even then, she kept it to a minimum, just conveying information about getting to the station and ticketing and timetables.

On the bus Regina sat with her, muttering something about sticking together, and Emma didn’t push it. The older woman then fell asleep after only a few minutes, lulled by road vibrations and sheer exhaustion. Emma didn’t know how long she watched her, marveling at how beautiful she was, her heart heavy with how wrong everything had gone.

Regina woke her in Utah, and had planned their next leg. Another bus, this one to Denver. Disoriented, Emma checked her phone. 7am, July 9th.

**

_July 9_

The bit of sleep seemed to have improved Regina’s mood a little, though she still looked really tired. Not that Emma was dumb enough to tell her that. She didn’t feel all that rested herself. Something about sleeping in uncomfortable positions surrounded by strangers and that minor detail of their lives being in danger.

By the time what was supposed to be a 12-hour bus ride turned into a 16-hour odyssey with a broken down bus and waiting on the side of the road for hours for the mechanic to arrive and determine he couldn’t do anything, and then a couple more for Greyhound to scrounge up some replacement equipment, both of their moods were shot. Regina was snapping at Emma again now, needling her every chance she got with “So kind of you to take me on such a lovely adventure, dear” or “You certainly know the way to woo a woman, Ms. Swan.”

The blonde was completely out of patience with it now, having to clench her jaw to keep from shouting back about how she was under enough stress without Regina making this harder. Increasingly desperate to get the fuck to DC and away from Regina’s temper as fast as possible, Emma searched and searched and searched, but there was not a single flight out of Denver to be booked online. She thought briefly of standby, but the idea of being trapped with Regina like this for any longer than necessary made her very twitchy. Somehow, the stationary airport felt much more enclosing than any kind of moving metal box.

And so at 5am on July 10th they hopped Amtrak to Chicago. It was 19 hours, and Emma swore later all 19 had been views of corn. Huddled in Regina’s ill-fitting clothes, Emma was way too cold to sleep because somehow every open seat that faced forward was under a vent. Or so she’d concluded, because after a few stations she stopped trying new ones. A sleeping berth, of course, was more money than they could spare and too close of quarters anyway.

And so when the supply of abandoned reading material ran out, Emma began to think longingly of the stack of final papers her students had turned in, which she knew was waiting for her in her email if she’d just take the risk and log in. Then she shook herself. She knew she was in a bad way if _grading_ had started to sound appealing.

When they rolled into Union Station just before midnight, Emma tightly gave Regina two options: “We can stand by for a flight leaving at noon that the agent says is a longshot, or we can take the last redeye to Atlanta and a train.”

“Let’s do Atlanta,” Regina said wearily and hailed a cab.

_July 11_

For once, a leg of travel went smoothly. The plane departed on time, landed them in Atlanta on schedule, and left them early-morning hours to kill before they could catch the train that would finally end this nightmarish journey.

So Emma would have thought that Regina would be in a relatively good mood as they stashed themselves in yet another Denny’s. But the older woman was as short with her as she had been at the worst moments of their trip. And that was the last straw. “What is your problem?”

“My problem? Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know I was supposed to _like_ having my world turned upside down and my life threatened,” Regina snarked.

“Jesus fuck, Regina, I’m sorry, okay? It’s not like I meant for this to happen.” What the hell did she want?

“But you weren’t very careful about it either. You did this. Never thinking of consequences.” Regina spat out every word.

“I didn't know,” Emma suggested lamely.

“Of course you didn't.”

Just then, the matronly waitress appeared. “You two are _so_ cute! Remind me of my husband and me. Been together 20 years next week. Ain’t love grand?”

Emma smiled a big, fake smile and gripped Regina’s hand across the table. “Oh, you know how it is when you’re traveling.”

The waitress chuckled. “Do I ever! My man will never ask for directions. Where y’all headed?”

“Trying to get to DC for my sweetie’s family reunion!” Emma lied.

“Well good luck. There’s the check whenever you’re ready.”

“What the hell was that?” Regina hissed after the woman was safely away, snatching her hand out from under Emma’s.

“I had to make something up. I don’t even _know_ who the hell we’re trying to get to! I’m basically just following your orders, yes ma’am, whatever you like milady!” Emma snarled.

“My childhood friend works for the FBI, is that okay with you, _sweetie?_ ” Regina sneered. “Let me make one thing perfectly clear. We may have gone out a few times, but after we survive this I never want to see you again.”

**

They did not sit together on the train. That turned out to be for the best, because when track work and freight traffic slowly turned their 7pm scheduled arrival time into 11, Emma was fairly certain that if Regina had been in arm’s reach she would have murdered her right then and saved whoever the trouble.

Regina tersely suggested that they get a motel room to clean up and have some hope of being allowed through the front door at the FBI tomorrow. Emma agreed.

As Regina talked to the clerk, Emma glanced at her phone. 12:05am July 12.


	8. Chapter 8

_July 12_

Emma awoke to the tickle of Regina’s breath moving the hairs on the back of her neck. The older woman was draped over her back and their arms and legs were completely tangled. It had been like this after the first night they’d spent together. The only night they’d spent together.

But not really like this. This was not the relaxed familiarity of lovers but more like clutching the nearest warm, solid body in sheer existential terror. Or at least it felt that way to Emma as she lay there for a long, long while, unable to feel happy that Regina was willing to be this close to her again, even in sleep, with the knowledge of their precarious safety a low hum in the back of her mind.

Then Regina was inhaling sharply, her arms tightening around Emma and her face nuzzling between her shoulder blades. After a moment Emma felt her stiffen, clearly awake enough now to realize what she was doing, and move carefully to extricate herself. Emma shifted to let her go.

**

After they’d showered and dressed, Regina called up her friend and had a pointedly lighthearted conversation about how she had unexpectedly found herself in town and they should do lunch. Though it was short notice, it worked out, and soon they were on their way to the J. Edgar Hoover building.

When they arrived, the receptionist confirmed their appointment and said Agent Arquera’s meeting was running long but that she’d be out soon. Emma felt a little ridiculous sitting in the FBI waiting room in her going-out jeans and the dress shirt that still smelled faintly of sweat and alcohol, but it was a lot more appropriate than Regina’s pajamas.

“It’s been a long time, ‘Gina,” a voice said at last, and Emma looked up from her copy of National Geographic to see Regina embracing her friend.

“Too long,” the gallery owner agreed, then pulled back and offered, “Marian Arquera, this is Emma Swan.”

It did not escape Emma that Marian didn’t look at all surprised to see her as she crossed the few remaining steps to shake her hand and murmur that it was nice to meet her. She also didn’t ask any questions when Regina asked awkwardly if they could talk somewhere privately.

Seated in Marian’s office, Regina looked pointedly at Emma that she should explain. She nodded and launched into a retelling of how they had developed some theories about the recent Supreme Court assassinations, and that she had accidentally posted them on the Internet from Regina’s house, and also that Regina’s ex was in the mafia and didn’t like her moving on, and then Regina’s car had blown up and her house had been all torn up like someone was looking for something and so they had fled Seattle to come see her, “But really all we know for sure is that there are two different sets of people who maybe want to kill us.”

“Make that three,” Marian corrected dryly.

“What?” Regina demanded.

“That guy who blew up in your car? His boyfriend’s a major crime boss. He wants revenge.” Marian shrugged, as if describing bad weather rather than a life-threatening situation.

“Wait, what? How do you know that?” Regina was stunned.

“You really think that plausible assassination theories reposted tens of thousands of times and hits put out by major crime outfits don’t get our attention?” Marian scoffed. “Didn’t you pay any attention to all that Snowden stuff?”

“I had a feeling you knew something,” Emma said, feeling vindicated.

“Yes, and when we lost track of you after Boise I was worried something had happened. Regina, why didn’t you call me in the first place? I could have had you picked up by field agents days ago.”

“I didn’t think you’d believe me,” Regina said, her jaw tightening.

Emma bit the inside of her cheek for a moment to contain her frustration that they’d crawled their way across the continent for no reason, then turned to Marian. “Well, we’re here now. I assume that means you can help us?”

“Sure can.”

**

“Storybook?” Emma repeated, incredulous.

“-brooke. With an E. Like some restrictive-covenant gated community,” Marian chuckled. “It’s in Maine.”

“Maine?” Regina objected.

“Hey, it’s hard to have a secret town,” the agent pointed out. “Be glad it’s not in Alaska.”

“Uh, is there internet?” Emma asked uncertainly.

Regina turned to her, eyes blazing. “Damn it, Emma, haven’t you done enough damage with the Internet?”

Emma sighed, but knew she wasn’t wrong. “I have to turn in grades. My summer class is over,” she explained.

“We can get you secure Internet,” Marian confirmed. “But no dicking around. No social media. Your location will be concealed by the proxy but not if you go Instagramming your lunch,” the agent insisted sternly.

“Yes ma’am,” Emma said solemnly, suddenly aware that Marian probably had a gun.

When Marian left them alone in her office to go make arrangements for their travel, they sat in awkward silence for long moments.

Finally, Emma couldn’t resist exercising her curiosity. “Another ex?”

“No,” Regina answered shortly.

“Well there was that one time we made out in eighth grade,” Marian put in from the doorway. “Here, it’s today’s menu for the cafeteria. Let me know what you want when I come back,” she added and was gone again.

**

As they settled into the seats of the tiny FBI jet that was going to take them to Maine, Emma was grateful that Marian seemed to be pretty high up in the organization—or, at least, able to pull some strings. She’d sent Emma out with an agent for escort to buy some clothes, quite reasonably pointing out in response to her panicked look that one credit card transaction in DC wouldn’t help anyone trace her to Maine. The blonde was so glad, because she felt so much better in jeans and boots.

On top of that, when the agent had found out that there was a scheduled supply run today to the staff stationed in Storybrooke, she’d talked the higher-ups into letting Emma and Regina ride along, arguing that it saved time and manpower from an agent driving them, though the pilot had complained about having to take passengers.

She and Regina hadn’t talked much today, just bare essentials, and the memory of having been pushed far enough to actually yell at each other was fresh in Emma’s mind, at least. She watched Regina out of the corner of her eye for a long while after takeoff.

“I’m scared out of my goddamn mind,” she confessed finally.

Regina turned and looked at her silently for a long, long moment, before giving her a tight smile and murmuring, “Me too.”

Then Regina returned to her reading, and Emma thought that was the end of it and turned to look out the window. The last thing she expected was to feel the older woman’s hand slide into hers minutes later.

Emma turned back to look at her. “But, you know, it’s good I have such good looking company,” she said with a little half-grin.

Regina raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Don’t push it, Ms. Swan.” But she squeezed her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SwanQueenWeek: Trapped together

_July 12_

The agent who was going to be their handler met them at the county airport. David Nolan was possibly the most federal agent looking guy Emma could have imagined. White, blonde, handsome, muscular but not overly buff, precisely dressed and groomed, with a handshake just shy of too firm.

As he drove them into town, Agent Nolan gave them the rundown in efficient sentences.

“You’ll be staying at Granny’s Bed and Breakfast. I’m stationed there as well. All communications with the outside world have to be routed through me.” When Regina began to object, he explained, “It’s for your own safety. I can’t tell you how many people have nearly compromised themselves that way. You have both been set up with jobs. Emma, you’ll be working at Granny’s Diner.”

“Oh, cool, I was a barista in undergrad,” the graduate student replied politely.

“We know.” While Emma gawped at him, he went on, “And Regina, your aesthetic knowledge will be an asset in the antique and pawn shop. Your supervisors will set your hours, but you’ll start Monday morning.” Emma’s head was really spinning now with everything he was laying on them so quickly. “I would advise you to keep to yourselves otherwise. Not everyone in this town is as innocent as you. Some of them are nasty people we’re protecting because they turned over on even nastier people. Do you understand?”

Swallowing hard, Emma caught Regina’s eyes in the rear view mirror, as wide as her own, then answered, “Yeah, we got it.” What the hell had she gotten them into?

**

Eugenia “Granny” Ryder both was and wasn’t what Emma was expecting. She was past retirement age, and matronly, so grandma-like in that way, but she also had a sharp gaze and a trace of an accent Emma couldn’t quite place. As soon as she saw David, the innkeeper pulled down the keys to two adjacent rooms, and Emma wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved that she and Regina would each have their own space, but she was definitely relieved not to have to awkwardly negotiate it.

After just half an hour or so alone in her room, however, she was at loose ends, and even though she and Regina had had a moment on the plane she didn’t think she should push it by going and knocking on her door. Instead, she wandered down to the common area, where Granny had told her there were movies any guest could borrow. As she crouched beside the shelf, she saw that the collection was extensive, but not very current. Also, Granny, or whoever was in charge of the selection, seemed to be something of a nerd, with tons of movies about dinosaurs, a bunch of science fiction, and quite a few educational documentaries.

Emma had just made a selection when she heard a quiet “Hello” from the doorway.

Regina was standing there uncertainly, and before she could talk herself out of it Emma was holding up the VHS. “Wanna watch Jurassic Park with me?”

“I think I’d like that,” Regina agreed, with a small smile.

“Your place or mine?” Emma joked.

**

They ended up in Regina’s room. After putting the movie in, Regina climbed onto her bed without a second thought and settled back against the headboard with the remote, and Emma was struck, again, by how much she didn’t know what the hell to do with this woman anymore. Before Regina could notice her hesitation, she made the decision not to join her and dragged over the chair from the desk to sit beside the bed, hoping to herself that this would all stop being painful and awkward soon.

Soon Emma was engrossed in the movie, thinking back to the first time she’d seen it, in some foster home years after it had been in theaters. It had been really magical then, she recalled, and it held up pretty well after all this time. Just when things started to get exciting, with the kids noticing the goat was missing and the T-Rex about to appear, the movie stopped abruptly, and she turned, surprised, to Regina.

“What?”

“You’re about to either completely throw your neck out or fall out of the chair,” the older woman said dryly.

Emma looked down, startled, only then realizing she had craned herself at an impressively weird angle trying to see as the movie got darker. “Oh,” she chuckled, embarrassed, “I guess there’s a bit of a glare.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

Emma shrugged.

Regina gave a little half-exasperated, half-affectionate chuckle. “Come sit on the bed,” she insisted, moving out of the center.

Emma did, and the view really was much better from here.

“Honestly,” Regina huffed as she started up the movie again, “I don’t bite.”

Just then the goat leg landed on the Plexiglas roof of the car, and Emma muttered, “Hope not. I’d hate to end up like that guy.”

She felt Regina shake with suppressed laughter, and it gave her the giggles, and once Emma started laughing out loud Regina did too. They laughed all through those tense moments of anticipation leading up to the dinosaur attacking the car, until the dramatic moment caught their attention fully again.

When the little kid breathed again after being electrocuted, Emma felt Regina’s hand slide into hers, and her smile at the moment got even bigger.

By the time the characters were being hunted by the raptors, the two of them were gripping each other tightly, jumping pleasantly at every loud moment exactly the way the movie was designed to make them.

At the end, when everyone was flying away in the helicopter, Emma felt Regina’s head tip onto her shoulder, and it felt like winning the lottery. They stayed that way for a long moment, until well into the credits, but then Regina sat up and shook herself.

Reaching for the remote, she turned off the film, then turned to Emma seriously. “I want to know what the theory was that possibly endangered my life.”

Emma took a deep breath and moved farther down the bed so that she could turn and face Regina. “Yeah, yeah sure. Um- So, you remember how that night in the bar we were talking about what Gordon and Boyle might have in common and decided that the only thing was that they both upheld Universal v. Lenz?”

Regina nodded.

“So then, at the exhibit I started realizing that they both have- _had_ a really robust belief in fair use and the public domain. And there’s this case that was just appealed to the Ninth Circuit that’s about _Steamboat Swan_ , which was the movie where Sammy Swan first appeared. Owning that is the legal basis on which the whole Swan brand rests, from Swanland to Sammy on a t-shirt. And the argument in the case is about whether it’s in the public domain, right?”

“Yes,” Regina said slowly, a bit uncertainly.

“So, it’s the Ninth Circuit. They’re really fair use and public domain friendly. If it was the Second Circuit, it would be a whole other ballgame, but they’re almost guaranteed to decide against the owner, and if they do Sammy Swan is 100% fair game to be used by anyone for free and the wheels come off the entire brand empire. We’re talking billions.” Emma was really getting into it now. “So they’re gonna appeal to the Supreme Court, of course. And the Supremes with Gordon and Boyle are not looking friendly to that kind of suit. So, they have a very large financial incentive to change the composition of the Court.”

“And the president is so pro-business,” Regina realized out loud, “and Congress is held by Republicans, so his nominees would probably decide differently.”

“Exactly.”

“That does sound like a motive.”


	10. Chapter 10

_July 13_

The next day, they took care of some business.

Emma hadn’t realized that Regina had left a message for her employees before they left Seattle, telling them she’d be out of touch for a few days, but it made sense. Now, visibly chafing at having phone restrictions like a teenager, the gallery owner asked David for permission to call her assistant to give instructions for an extended absence, which he granted on condition that he monitor the call.

After that was finished, it was Emma’s turn to get internet time to get her grading done, since he needed to monitor that as well. When David agreed and led her into his room, she got excited for a moment at his huge LCD monitor and gleaming chrome tower. Then he pointed her to a second desk off to the side with monitor that looked like it was from 1995. At least the hard-wired, secure Internet was fast, she realized as she gritted her teeth and graded all of the papers back-to-back-to-back, grateful that summer classes were small.

**

Regina chose the movie that night, and she wanted to watch _Aliens_. It was a little bit too horror for Emma’s taste, but she conceded that it was a classic.

 Despite herself, Emma got into it, and seeing Ripley go all action heroine she found herself murmuring, “She’s super hot.”

Regina replied with a drawn out, appreciative “Mmmhmmm” from where her head was resting on Emma’s shoulder.

Emma was chuckling and kissing her temple before she thought. She froze. Regina had gotten close much earlier tonight, and that felt like progress, but this was pushing it and what the hell was she _thinking_?

Then Regina raised her head up and kissed Emma’s cheek before turning back to the movie.

**

_July 15_

After another day of puttering around Granny's, watching movies and not really talking, it was Monday, and they were off to their new, government-imposed jobs. Emma took a deep breath, then wandered uncertainly through the connecting door between the inn and the diner. They’d eaten here already, of course, because a town this small had very limited options, but coming in as a new employee had her feeling profoundly awkward.

By the time the lunch rush had her cranking out espressos and bussing tables as fast as she could in between, however, she was having a blast. Granny was a total trip and she had seen some shit, and she knew _all_ the dirt on everyone’s real identities. Already she’d warned her to tread lightly with the mild-mannered man with the Dalmatian, because he was a former hitman who had flipped on his employers.

“I don’t suppose you have kale salad,” a voice said, making her look up. Regina was standing on the other side of the counter.

“I’m afraid not, ma’am,” she replied with mock contrition.

“Don’t you ‘ma’am’ me, what am I, seventy?” Regina hissed.

“If you are, you’ve aged spectacularly,” Emma said, grinning at her.

Regina gave her a small smile, then said in a long-suffering tone, “I’m here to pick up a phone order for Belle.”

“She’s using you as a gopher?” Emma was offended on her behalf.

Regina sighed. “She’s very intelligent and well-read, but also very young and clearly intimidated to have an ‘assistant’ with my experience.” She shrugged. “I could like her if she’d let me. How’s your position?”

“Um, good,” Emma hedged, not wanting to rub her excitement in her face. “We’ll have to compare notes tonight.”

Regina cracked another smile. “It’s a date.” Emma’s breath caught audibly, and the older woman raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Ms. Swan, that kind of date. Now give me my lunch, dear.”

**

“Get this. Her nickname isn’t ‘Granny’ because she has a grandkid- I mean, she does, and her name is Ruby, and Granny disapproves of her life choices in a way I can’t figure out yet but might mean she’s queer?” Emma realized she was waving a French fry aimlessly. They’d gotten Granny’s takeout after the dinner rush finally subsided and were having a picnic on Emma’s bed. “Anyway, she’s called ‘Granny’ because that was her _code name_. She was fuckin’ undercover with the CIA for a zillion years. Have you noticed her accent?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Regina answered.

Emma pointedly ignored the way the older woman’s mouth was twitching with suppressed humor. “It’s because she spoke nothing but Russian for _decades_. She says she still dreams in Russian sometimes.” Emma nodded for emphasis as she took a bite of her burger. “And she always loved diners as a kid and missed them back in the USSR, so when she retired, she wanted to open one,” she added after swallowing.

“And of all the towns she decided to set up shop in an FBI front?” Regina was incredulous.

“Yeah, I don’t think she’s totally retired,” Emma conceded. “I don’t know if she really _could_. She’s kind of hardcore.” They chewed in companionable silence for a few moments, and then Emma asked, “Did your day get any better?”

“It got more-” and Regina paused to search for the right word before settling on “interesting. And I think Belle and I may have bonded. This crazed woman came in and started yelling about the crocodile skin vest and wolf fur coat and bone china that were in the display window and cruelty to animals and on and on. She was vaguely threatening about what would happen if we didn’t stop selling such things.”

“That’s Mary Margaret Blanchard,” Emma supplied. At Regina’s startled look, she explained, “Granny told me. She was an eco-terrorist who went by Snow White until her cell started killing people and she flipped on them.”

“Are you kidding? Snow White?”

“You know, with the birds and woodland creatures?” Emma shrugged. It made sense to her.

Regina did not look particularly convinced, but went on, “So by that point in the day I had no patience left because of Belle’s attitude and I just let her have it, pointing out that the animals in question had died decades ago and that her outrage was laughably misplaced when she was wearing cheap clothes made possible by slave labor harvesting Uzbekistani cotton and sweatshops in Southeast Asia.”

Emma laughed long and hard. “Oh man, remind me never to fuck with you,” she gasped when she could finally speak again.

Regina smiled. “And I think that endeared me to Belle. After ‘Snow’” and she rolled her eyes, “stormed out, we started talking about global supply chains and labor rights and I think we’ll get along better in the future.” Then a pained look crossed her face, and she shifted uncomfortably.

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked, immediately, anxiously.

“My back is bothering me,” Regina explained, still grimacing as she tried to reposition herself. “My bed leaves much to be desired.”

“Use mine,” Emma offered immediately, then felt herself blush furiously when she realized how that would sound. “I mean- we can trade- you don’t have to-”

Regina reached over and gripped her knee, stopping her before she could really get going on the profuse apology that suddenly felt necessary. “Emma, Emma! I’d love to.” In response to what Emma was sure was a bewildered look, she clarified. “With you. You make a pretty good snuggle pillow.”

They cleaned up the picnic and got ready for bed and settled in, Emma on her back with Regina’s head on her shoulder and her leg draped over Emma’s pelvis to support her lower back. Emma breathed it in for long, awed moments, then tipped her head to look at the older woman as best she could. “So why does your back hurt so much? Since you aren’t actually seventy.”

“I fell off a horse when I was sixteen and broke it very badly. I had to be immobile for months, and it was- horrible. I felt completely trapped and miserable, and the dirty old man named Leopold who ran the facility where my mother put me to recover-” she trailed off, then shuddered.

“Oh god, he didn’t-”

“No, but I know he wanted to, and if I’d been there longer-” She grimaced. “He must have been my father’s age, too.”

“God,” Emma breathed, pulling Regina closer in what she dimly recognized was a protective gesture.

“You know, I kind of like you,” Regina murmured sleepily. Emma chuckled, only to stop dead when she added, “Might even more than like you.”


	11. Chapter 11

_July 16_

Emma awoke very early the next morning blissfully happy. The steadiness of Regina’s breath and the smell of her shampoo and the way their bodies just _fit_ felt like heaven. For the first time, this felt like not just casual dating of her usual kind, but something that might _go_ somewhere.

And then anxiety clamped around her heart. What was she thinking? Regina had told her in Atlanta they were over. She was only being nice now because they were trapped together and she literally had no one else to talk to. It was stupid to think it was anything else.

She was turning it over and over in her head, back and forth between hope and fear, when Regina awakened, snuggling up and nuzzling her neck and jaw. Emma closed her eyes and tensed every muscle, willing herself not to feel. Regina stayed there for a few moments, then rolled away slightly to stretch, and Emma breathed again. Then the older woman propped herself up on an elbow and smiled down at her, and fuck, why was she so beautiful, all tousled hair and blurry eyes, and the hint of a smile on her perfect fucking mouth?

“Good morning,” Regina murmured, her voice rough with sleep. Emma flinched. The older woman looked at her for a long moment, their breath the only sound in the still room. When she spoke again, her voice was clearer. “Emma, what’s going on? Why are you so skittish around me all the time?” Regina cupped her chin with gentle fingers, coaxing her to actually turn and look at her rather than staring at the ceiling, but not pushing.

And that little comfort, that care and letting her decide on her own time, had Emma turning to look her in the eyes and murmuring “You’re gonna abandon me” before she could think better of it.

“What? Why would you say that?” Regina’s eyes were wide, startled.

“You said you never wanted to see me again,” Emma murmured, feeling her eyes stinging.

“Oh, Emma, but it wasn’t- I-” Regina began objecting, then stopped and took a deep breath. “You’re right, I did. And I shouldn’t have,” she acknowledged. “I lash out sometimes when I’m afraid. I probably even meant it in the moment. But I don’t feel that way now.”

What do you feel now? Emma wanted to ask but just _couldn’t_. Instead, she asked, “So, are we back together?”

“I would like that if you would.”

Well _that_ was noncommittal. Emma looked away, unable to bear not being someone who mattered enough to make a firm statement for.

“And, as your girlfriend,” Regina went on, and Emma’s eyes snapped back to her in an instant at that, “I’d like you to tell me why you immediately draw the conclusion that I’ll abandon you.”

Emma sighed. “Everyone always does.”

“You don’t think you’re being a bit dramatic?” Regina coaxed, raising an eyebrow.

Emma pulled away from her violently, sitting up. “My parents left me on the side of the road,” she snarled. “Every foster family I ever had sent me back like I was defective. All my relationships are shallow and short. So you tell me.”

Regina stared at her for a long, long moment, speechless, eyes shimmering with a hint of tears. “I’m-”

“Don’t,” Emma growled savagely. “I don’t want your pity.”

“I don’t pity you, Emma, but I do care for you.” Her brow furrowed for a moment, and then she added, “Deeply,” as surprised to be saying it as Emma was to hear it.

“You can’t,” Emma insisted, reflexively, immediately.

Regina blinked. “Why not?”

“Because I am what I’ve always been. Just a lost girl who doesn’t matter and never will,” Emma sighed, so very tired all of a sudden. “Who can never understand why everyone gives her up,” she added, almost to herself.

Regina looked at her, just _looked_ for a long, long moment. Then, very slowly and quietly, she said, “As it happens, I’m someone who never gives up when I decide I want something.” She paused again, chewing her lip a bit. “And I don’t know what that means, and I can’t predict the future, but I know that this” she gestured between them “is worth fighting for.”

Later, Emma could never remember exactly what happened then. The next thing she knew Regina was astride her lap and kissing her slow and deep and sweet even though her face was streaked with tears.

**

It felt like a new beginning, and they were slightly giddy when Emma walked Regina to the side door of Granny’s later that morning. They looked around quickly like they were a couple of teenagers trying to avoid being caught by their parents and then kissed intently for long moments. They couldn’t goof off for long or risk being late for work, but when Regina left Emma held the door open to watch her go. Regina did have the most amazing ass, Emma mused as she finally tore herself away, her body moving before she turned her head.

She was startled to collide with something warm and solid and fleshy.

It was David.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

“I’m sorry, man, I’ll look where I’m going,” she said, trying to slide past him.

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it,” he insisted, stepping into her path to make her stop and talk to him.

“Dude, if you’re some kind of homophobe-” Emma began.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” David cut her off. “You are not on vacation. This town is as safe as we can make it, but that does not make it safe in any kind of absolute terms. Don’t get too comfortable. Do you understand me?”

**

“Oh hey, I found out what Ruby does,” Emma remembered suddenly as she walked hand-in-hand down the street with Regina. She’d gone to collect the older woman from Belle’s shop after their shifts that evening, unwilling to be apart from her any longer than necessary.

“Who?” Regina asked absently, smelling the rose Emma had bought her. The blonde had been pretty proud of herself to think of that.

“Ruby. Granny’s granddaughter?”

“Yes, right,” Regina said, sounding more polite than interested. “And what is that, dear?”

“She runs a strap-on store!” Emma was pretty excited about it.

Regina stopped. “A what?”

“Um, I mean, a- um- adult boutique,” Emma sputtered.

Regina laughed. “Of course you would call it that.”

Emma blushed furiously. “Hey, I mean, I never got to use one on you!” she complained.

“And that is a shame,” Regina hummed, pulling her close and kissing her soundly. “You should definitely take better care of me,” she added when they broke apart. “Tonight,” she added, then turned and continued walking toward Granny’s.

Emma watched her go, feeling a goofy grin on her face, for a long moment. But as she pulled herself together and started to follow, Regina turned up the alley toward the side door, and Emma could suddenly see David up the block, arms crossed and jaw set.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100% PLOT FREE

_July 16_

The instant the door to her room was closed behind them, Emma’s anxiety was back full-force. She hadn’t been with Regina since before everything got crazy, and even though they’d had that moment of emotional intimacy this morning, she was anything but confident about getting back to _physical_ intimacy.

Regina seemed to sense it, and pulled her close, cupping her cheek and resting their foreheads together. They stayed that way for a long, long moment, and Emma felt her chest slowly relax. Then Regina kissed her, slow and sweet. And god, it felt so right that Emma groaned a bit into her mouth, deepening the kiss, intensifying, harder and more needy until they were almost sparking. It was Regina who broke the kiss eventually. “Em-ma,” she enunciated, “Fuck me.” A beat, and then she corrected, “Make love to me.”

Emma gave a little half-sob, suddenly too emotionally overwhelmed to speak, but nodded in agreement. She pulled Regina’s body tight against hers, kissing her deeply again and letting her hands wander as she backed her toward the bed. When the backs of her thighs collided with the mattress, the older woman made a little sound, and Emma broke the kiss to check in.

“Just startled,” Regina confirmed, giving her a small smile.

Reassured, Emma picked her up and lay her down on the bed. As she pressed on top to resume kissing her slow and deep, Regina wrapped her legs around her, and Emma felt her desire spike as she settled into the cradle of her hips. Then she began running one hand over her while they kissed and rocking against her.

Regina broke the kiss to hum, “Mh, hello.”

“Hi,” Emma murmured as she kissed along Regina’s chin and jaw and stroked down the older woman’s side to dig her fingertips in at her hip and ass. Regina’s breath caught, and Emma groaned, because her responses were so good. She scraped her teeth over the spot below the gallery owner’s ear, then began to suck on it as she slid her hand back up to cup and squeeze a breast, drawing a moan from Regina. “God, I missed your noises,” she murmured as she kissed down her neck, biting her collarbone over her shirt.

“Get these clothes off me,” Regina hissed, suddenly impatient and reaching between them to pull at buttons.

Emma gave a little hum-chuckle. “Gladly.”

Very quickly they were both stripped to the skin. They groaned in stereo as Emma settled on top again, pressing her thigh against Regina this time. Regina’s skin felt so amazing against hers, as sensation, as possibility. They kissed for long, intense moments, until Regina’s fingers were tangled in her hair and the nails of her other hand were digging into Emma’s back as her hips rolled up against the blonde’s thigh. Soon Emma was kissing back down to suck and stroke her tongue on Regina’s collarbone, continually rolling her own hips to meet Regina's, moaning at the increasing feel of wetness on her skin.

It was so, so good, but Emma needed more, jackknifing her body so that she could kiss down Regina’s chest and suck a nipple into her mouth without moving her thigh. As she began to suck, she looked up at Regina, who now cradled her head against her chest, and their eyes locked, the moment almost painfully intense.

Fuck, Emma wanted her so much. Soon she was switching to suck and bite her other nipple, pinching and pulling at the one she was just sucking. Back and forth she went, sucking, pinching, biting, pulling. Regina felt so good in her mouth and hearing her moan sent fire through Emma’s veins. But the blonde needed more, and after many long moments of lavishing attention on Regina’s breasts she began kissing down, scraping her teeth on her ribs, belly, hips before settling between her legs.

“Your pussy is so gorgeous,” she murmured, looking up to meet Regina’s eyes and then back down, licking her lips in anticipation of the first taste.

“Thank you, dear,” Regina replied, breathy. “And you look so good between my legs.”

Emma looked up at her and smiled, then, eyes locked on Regina’s, leaned down and kissed her cunt. The older woman let out a little gasp, and Emma’s mouth quirked in a little smile, and then she gave her a long, slow stroke with the flat of her tongue, her eyes fluttering shut at how good she felt.

“Mmnnnhhhhhh,” Regina groaned, and Emma gave a happy hum and then made more slow, easy strokes where she was so wet, tracing every bit of her. Regina felt almost painfully good in her mouth, hot and slick as she touched her more directly now, up to her clit, curling her tongue, and down to press inside just a bit. The textures were dizzyingly erotic, the velvet hardness of her clit and the slick clutching when she pushed her tongue inside, and Emma was groaning against her, reveling in the way Regina’s wetness coated her face.

Soon Emma was moving faster, fluttering and rolling her tongue. She wrapped both arms around Regina’s thighs to keep her tight to her face at the same moment that Regina reached down to grip her hair, and their eyes met again as Emma smiled into slick flesh. Fuck, she loved how Regina grabbed her and pressed her hips up into her touch, and this was deliriously good, and she felt like she might come just from eating her.

But Emma needed so badly to be inside her, and in the next moment she was sliding one hand off Regina’s hip and pressing two fingers all- the way- in, moaning just as Regina did at the sensation. She began fucking her slow and deep and steady, her tongue swirling now.

Gradually, Emma increased the sensation, intermittently curling her fingers, periodically giving Regina’s clit little sucks, her tongue and fingers moving in counterpoint, steady and deliberate and making her feel every motion. She hadn’t realized how much she missed this until she had Regina panting and writhing under her touch. And she gave her more and more, sucking her harder, fucking her faster.

Then Regina was coming, gripping her hard, arching up into her, moaning. Emma stared up at her in awe and adoration as she stroked her through it.


	13. Chapter 13

_July 16_

“God, you’re good at that,” Regina groaned when she could speak again, long moments later.

“Thank you,” Emma murmured as she finally stopped her soft, easy strokes and kissed her way back up Regina’s body. She kissed the older woman slow and sweet, then murmured in her ear, “I wanna ride you.”

 Regina’s eyes rolled back in her head as she moaned.

“Should I take that as a yes?” Emma teased.

“God, yes,” Regina emphasized, and Emma kissed her hard and deep, struck by how hot the older woman’s desire was.

Then the blonde pushed up onto her knees and reached for the Regina’s thighs, bending and moving her and shifting her own body until their hips could settle together, and when they finally did the sensation of their wetness mingling made Emma gasp.

“Mmnnnnh,” Regina groaned. “So good, darling. So ready for you.”

Emma began rolling her hips, moving so, so slowly at first. The sensation of her pussy on Regina’s, clit to clit and wetness on wetness, was almost overwhelmingly pleasurable, and Regina looking up at her and biting her lip made it impossibly better. Soon she was moving faster, the two of them moaning in stereo as the older woman dug her fingertips into her hips and sides. Fuck, she loved feeling her react, loved knowing she was building and attending to this amazing woman’s need.

“God,” Regina panted. “So good. I love how you fuck me,” she added, as if reading Emma’s mind.

“Unnh,” was all Emma could say now as she worked her hips intently, her muscles cording and flexing and beginning to strain a little. Regina was meeting her motion, grinding up into her as best she could, her nails scraping down her back as she clutched desperately, uncontrollably. Emma fucked her faster, harder, chasing the sensation, her pleasure spiraling up and up as Regina writhed and moaned her own ecstasy beneath her.

“I’m getting close,” the older woman hissed, and all Emma could do was nod.

Regina came first, moaning and gasping, and she was so fucking gorgeous that Emma was coming moments later.

“Fuck, baby,” Emma gasped, barely able to disentangle her legs from Regina’s before collapsing half on top of her.

It was many long moments of trembling before Emma had enough motor control again to raise her head, much less kiss Regina, but eventually she did, kissing her slow and sweet and deep as the older woman’s hands ran over her adoringly.

When eventually she pulled away, she just looked at Regina for along moment, cupping her jaw, thumb stroking her cheek, thinking of what the older woman had said the night before. “I think I more than like you too,” she murmured at last, almost inaudibly.

Regina’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Hm?” She turned her head a bit and kissed Emma’s thumb.

“I love you,” Emma breathed, rushed, terrified that she was making a mistake.

But Regina just smiled her full, real, genuine smile as she answered, “And I love you.”

**

_July 17_

The next day, Emma was surprised by a smirking Regina showing up five minutes before the end of her shift at Granny’s.

“What’s with your face?” she asked, suspicious.

Regina’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

“C’mon Regina, you have your hands behind your back and everything.” Emma crossed her arms. “What is that gorgeous face of yours—or I guess that beautiful mind of yours—plotting?”

“I thought I would return your gesture and bring you a flower,” Regina harrumphed, bringing a lily out from behind her back. “From that silly movie you made me watch.”

Emma felt herself blush fifteen shades of red. “Um- I- uh-” she stammered.

“In my day, young ladies said ‘thank you’ when their suitors brought them flowers,” Granny teased.

“And I had such a special evening planned,” Regina said with what Emma hoped was mock-resignation. “It’s really a shame.”

That left Emma sputtering again, looking at Regina, then at Granny, then at Regina again, until Granny relented, ordering “Go on, take that nice girl out for the evening.”

“You are so not a nice girl,” Emma muttered, and she could see Regina’s mouth twitching with suppressed humor as they walked out the door. “So where are we headed?” she asked once they were outside.

“The Enchanted Forest.”

Emma blinked. “The what?”

“The adult boutique Ruby owns. It’s called The Enchanted Forest. Belle told me all about it.”

“How does Belle-“ Emma began before trailing off, even more perplexed now.

“I’m not entirely sure. I think they may have dated at some point. It may have been a bad breakup.” Regina gave a little hint of a shrug, then continued, “Come on, it’s over on the side street.”

**

Emma wondered if it was inappropriate that she kept thinking the phrase “kid in a candy store” about this sex shop, but she was a little giddy about it. The Enchanted Forest was remarkably well-stocked for such a small town, and all the décor was fairytale themed. There was a nice selection of fetishwear under a sign saying “The Brave Little Tailor,” and the selection of dildos, plugs, and harnesses appeared with a label “Goldicocks: Find the one that’s just right!”

But Emma laughed so hard she cried at the safer sex supplies. The flavored condoms said “I’ll blow your house down” and the dental dams said “The better to eat you with,” and before long she was wheezing and about to fall over.

“I sell so many condoms,” a voice said from behind her.

She turned to see the proprietress. She’d greeted them pleasantly when they came in, but given them space. Apparently laughing hysterically broke the sex store code enough for her to come over.

“Yeah?” Emma asked, still a little winded from laughing.

“Yeah,” she confirmed. “And I get it. What else is there to do here?” she shrugged. “I’m Ruby.”

“Emma,” she greeted, shaking her hand.

“And your friend?”

“Regina,” the older woman answered for herself, coming over and sliding a proprietary arm around Emma. The blonde would have been amused if she hadn’t been so pleased to have Regina basically announcing their status.

“Anything in particular you’re looking for?” Ruby asked pleasantly, her eyes running over both of them speculatively.

“This one,” Regina tipped her head, “called your establishment a, and I quote, ‘strap-on store,’ so I think that’s what _she_ wants.”

Ruby smiled, then asked, “And what do _you_ want?” and her tone was anything but casual.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Regina asked, eyebrow arching, and oh fuck Emma needed to get her home and on her back right now.


	14. Chapter 14

_July 17_

Emma always had sticker shock in sex stores, but the excitement of getting these toys back to their room got her past it in a hurry, and very soon she and Regina were walking down Main Street. Emma was almost bouncing with anticipation of all the things they’d be able to do with the contents of their shopping bag, grinning like a fool and looking over at Regina adoringly every few moments.

And when Regina smirked back at her, knowing and affectionate and a little exasperated, it was such a perfectly Regina thing that she grabbed her and kissed her soundly right there in the street.  

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she heard a man exclaim, and she knew before she even turned it would be David. "Do you not understand that your life is in danger?" he growled, striding toward them full of fury. “This is not your goddamn honeymoon!”

“What is your problem?” Emma demanded, stepping toward him, chin up and chest out. “We’re not hurting anybody. Why build this whole fake town,” and she gestured expansively, “for your protectees to live in if they can’t fucking _live_ while they’re here? Man, it’s like you expect us to spend all our time jumping at shadows instead of trusting that _you_ know what the fuck you’re doing.”

“You have no idea the kinds of outside threats we’re protecting people in this town from daily,” he insisted defensively.

“Really?” Emma countered. “Because I can’t see how you have any time to look outside at all. All I see is you going around asserting your authority over how I relate to the woman I love, who is also my _only_ companion in this place. So, with all due respect, Agent Nolan, shove your micromanagement up your ass.” As he sputtered, she turned back to an almost equally stunned Regina and tipped her head. “Wanna get going?”

**

Emma closed the door behind them, then turned back to Regina, feeling like she should apologize for blowing up at David in the street. “Hey, I-”

Regina had her pushed up against the wall before she could even breathe, kissing her fiercely, one hand tangled in her hair and the other digging her nails into Emma’s hip. When Emma moaned, Regina licked into her mouth with a demanding tongue, and fuck, the way she was taking control was lighting Emma’s body on fire.

When Regina broke the kiss to attack her neck with tongue and teeth, Emma gasped, “How’d I get so lucky?”

“Mmh,” Regina groaned, her teeth sunk into Emma’s neck, then explained, punctuated with nips and kisses and sucking, “The way you told Agent Nolan off was so attractive. It makes me want to get on my knees for you.”

“Oh fuck,” Emma groaned, instantly wetter than even the anticipation of the toys had made her.

Regina gave an evil little chuckle. “That too,” she agreed, pulling at Emma’s belt. “Eventually.” Then she was sinking to her knees, digging her teeth in to Emma’s body on her way. She tucked her fingertips into Emma’s waistband and used her teeth on the zipper, then peeled everything down until it caught on Emma’s high, laced boots. Then she looked up and licked her lips, and Emma couldn’t even fucking _breathe_.

In the next moment, Regina grabbed her thighs and began tonguing her eagerly, and all Emma could say was "Nnh!" The older woman was greedy, hungry, demanding, staring up at Emma and digging her fingertips in hard to hold Emma’s hips against her face. Emma was torn between needing to close her eyes with sheer pleasure and needing to keep watching Regina devour her. The intensity of the sensation won out, and Emma’s head tipped back onto the wall.

This was searingly good. Emma was sure she was going to come embarrassingly fast, but she couldn’t bring herself to care, and then her eyes snapped open as Regina switched from her intense movements to torturously slow, long, flat licks up the length of Emma’s pussy. Looking down, she saw Regina somehow manage to smirk around a mouthful of her cunt, and then she was groaning and gripping the older woman’s hair and rocking her hips against that excruciating mouth

“Yes,” Regina moaned into her pussy. “Fuck my mouth.” She began licking faster again, the pleasure electric and almost overwhelming. Emma wanted to tell her she was a goddamn goddess, staring down at her as she began swirling her tongue a bit, but it just came out “Mmmmnnnnh.”

Regina quirked an eyebrow up at her and began sucking intermittently between strokes now, and Emma was getting so, so close, feeling the orgasm building, shuddering uncontrollably. The older woman began moving her head up and down with her motions, then dug her nails into the backs of Emma’s thighs and pulled her to her mouth as she sucked hard, and Emma was coming so hard she saw white.  

When Emma became aware of herself again, she didn’t know how long it had been, but she did know that she desperately needed to be making Regina come. The older woman was standing, pressed against her, probably to keep her from collapsing while she’d been floppy and trembling. But now that Emma was standing under her own power Regina stepped back, her eyes running over Emma’s body as she began peeling her clothes off, swaying her hips to some internal rhythm as she moved toward the bed.  

Emma was tearing at her own clothes in the next instant, her fingers clumsy on her boot laces, hopping around with her legs tangled in her pants, flinging her bra god knew where, and staring at Regina’s steadily revealed body every second that she possibly could. By the time Regina was gracefully settling onto the bed and crooking a finger at her, Emma was ready, taking three long strides and nearly flinging herself onto the bed between the older woman’s legs.

“Did you want something?” Regina asked mildly.

Emma didn’t answer, just wrapped both arms around Regina’s thighs and dragged her the last six inches down the bed to her mouth. Regina’s chuckle at her eagerness became a gasp as Emma began lapping eagerly at her, rubbing her face against her cunt, reveling in her, needing to get her tongue all over Regina and Regina’s wetness all over her face. Fuck, the older woman was so wet and open, and knowing that it was from having touched her made it so much better.

“Nnnh,” Regina moaned, her back arching up off of the bed a bit.

Emma released one thigh and pressed two fingers inside, and Regina gripped her hair and hissed, “Yes! Fuck me. Just like that.” The blonde groaned at the demand as she made steady, hungry strokes on the older woman’s clit now, too eager to be slow but keeping her tongue flat and pushing her fingers so deep, soft flesh and firm clit a heaven of sensation against her fingers and tongue.

Regina was rolling her hips to meet her motions now. As Emma began swirling her tongue and curling her fingers, and Regina’s moans went up an octave.  

“I love how you fuck me,” she panted.

“And I love fucking you,” Emma murmured as she pulled out, then pressed inside again with three fingers.

“God, so good. I'm so close,” Regina hissed, and Emma was sucking her clit now, fucking her intently, filling and stretching her.

Then Regina was coming, hard, her back arching and body shuddering as she moaned out Emma’s name.  

The blonde watched her adoringly, stroking her through it.


	15. Chapter 15

_July 17_

When Regina rolled her eyes back down from the back of her head again, she pinned Emma with a fierce look. “Get that cock on,” she demanded.

It was Emma’s eyes’ turn to roll back in her head at that, but she was also moving toward the door, where she’d dropped the bag when Regina had grabbed her. Inevitably, she struggled with the packaging, cursing and shredding it and just about ready to kill someone before she finally released the black strapless dildo from its hard plastic prison, but when she looked back at Regina on the bed, laid out like a goddess, her frustration melted away.

A quick trip to the bathroom to give it a wash, and it was ready. And so was she, the bulb end sliding inside her with incredible ease at this point, and god it was good.

She walked a bit gingerly toward the bed, looking down as she went, trying to get a feel for how the toy would behave with her body, such that she was startled to realize Regina was standing beside the bed now.

“Sit on the edge,” the older woman commanded, and what was there to do but obey?

When Regina then sank gracefully to her knees again beside the bed, Emma wondered if it was possible to die from sheer wanting. “Not that I’m not wet enough to take this wonderful cock,” she began conversationally, “because I’m practically dripping, but I think I should get it ready just in case.” She placed her lips at the tip and gave the toy a kiss. “Do you mind?”

Emma’s mouth worked but no sound came out. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes, please,’” Regina chuckled, then looked up at her and smirked as she leaned forward and took one long swipe up the length of the toy with her tongue. Emma’s breath shuddered out of her at the sight.

The older woman kissed her way down to the base again, then made another long lick up to the tip, fluttering her tongue a bit this time. Jesus Christ she was so hot, swirling her tongue around the tip, then sucking a good bit into her mouth, then coming back up and releasing it with a pop. She hummed, then gave a playful nip.

“Now I’m going to ride you,” she declared, and Emma nodded eagerly, moving back onto the bed to make it possible.

Emma looked up at Regina adoringly as she straddled her hips just below the toy, running her hands over as much of her skin as she could. Regina grabbed her chin and kissed her hard, trapping the toy between them, and the blonde groaned but also took the opportunity to cup and squeeze the older woman’s breasts. When Regina moaned into her mouth, she began pinching her nipples and rolling them between her fingers. At that, the older woman began rolling her hips a bit, rubbing her clit against the base of Emma’s cock, and fuck, she could _feel_ even that tiny motion. Just barely, but it was an incredible mindfuck, and she dropped one hand to dig her fingertips into Regina’s hip.

“Nnh,” Regina groaned. “Your cock feels so good against me.” God, she was so hot. The older woman kissed her jaw, down her neck and back up again, nipping at her earlobe and then sucking. And then she breathed, “Fuck me” and sat up.

“God, yes,” Emma breathed, one hand on Regina’s hip and one on the toy, coaxing her up and forward and then guiding her down onto the cock, watching it disappear slowly. Regina let her head fall back and groaned, then began to move, small motions at first, rocking her hips, barely lifting up. As she got a feel for it and she began to move faster, Emma’s fingertips dug into her hips hard, because the toy pushing and pulling against her felt amazing. “I love the way you ride me,” she groaned.

Regina just moaned back and began rolling her hips faster, and now Emma was moving in counterpoint to meet her. God she loved fucking her, filling her up, stretching her, getting so deep, giving her every inch of the cock. Soon Regina tipped forward, and suddenly every motion was electric on Emma’s clit and g-spot as the older woman gripped her hard, bit down on her shoulder, writhed against her, and never stopped working her hips on the toy. Regina was moving even faster now, harder, and all Emma could do was hold on and hold back the orgasm building from the motion on the toy.

Then it surged through her, and as she shuddered Regina cried out and came too. 

**

_July 18_

Emma was startled awake by a loud knock on the door. Looking around, she saw Regina’s head resting on her chest, light streaming through the window, and the toy on the nightstand. Feeling glad she hadn’t actually passed out with it still in, she carefully disengaged herself as Regina made grumpy, sleepy sounds.

As she looked frantically around for her clothes, the pounding on the door came again, and she threw on her tank top and a pair of Regina’s too-short sweatpants so that she could wrench it open and demand, “What?”

The last thing she expected to see was Marian, arms crossed, wearing mirrored aviators and chewing gum.

“It’s about damn time,” the agent growled, pushing past her into the room.

“But! Regina- naked-” Emma sputtered.  

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Marian scoffed, then shouted “Mills! Wake your ass up!”

“Fuck off, Mar,” Regina grumbled, pulling her pillow over her head.

“No can do,” Marian said, and Emma watched in horror as she strode across the room, grabbed the covers, and whipped them completely off, leaving Regina totally bare. Her butt was really cute naked, too, she thought, tilting her head, before shaking herself.

“Uh, Marian, um-” Emma sputtered. “What are you doing here?” She paused, distracted by Regina cursing and hunting for clothes, then focused. “Like, in Storybrooke. And also our room.”

“Agent Nolan got fed up dealing with you and demanded that I come up here and clean up my mess,” the agent explained, crossing her arms again.

“Great,” Regina groaned. “Now we have to listen to _you_ complain that we have the temerity to love one another.”

“No,” Marian assured her, “Though Granny has had some noise complaints. Fortunately, I was on my way up here anyway. We had a breakthrough. You can go home.”


	16. Chapter 16

_July 18_

The sudden change of their situation left Emma and Regina at loose ends. Marian planned to stay over the weekend and so had booked their tickets out of Boston for Monday.

The agent explained that the FBI had managed to intercept all three assassins sent after them. When Emma pleaded and gave her best puppy dog eyes, Marian relented and regaled them with the details, swearing them to secrecy. Mr. Gold had chosen his son as his hitman, which the agent said was predictable enough. He liked to keep things in the family. Mal’s people had sent a woman known as The Blue Fairy. She killed with narcotic dust that caused hallucinations before its victims had the life choked out of them. The Swan Company, having a lot more resources, had hired Sidney Glass. His M.O. was to ingratiate himself with his victims as a toady for a long period before turning on them suddenly.

Now it really _was_ a vacation. And Emma knew just what she wanted to do.

**

_June 29_

When Emma turned back to look at Regina, the older woman gave her a tight smile. “Hope you’re enjoying your second visit to my gallery, dear.”

The blonde chuckled with wry amusement. “I definitely liked it more the first time.”

“So what brings you by?” Regina asked, not quite casually.

“I wanted to ask if you wanted to have a second date,” Emma said, suddenly nervous, sliding her hands into her pockets and shifting her weight.

“That depends,” Regina replied, looking her over speculatively.

Emma knew the older woman was probably teasing, but felt her adrenaline spike. “On what?”

“On what you have planned, of course,” Regina relented, her lips quirking with humor.

“Uh,” Emma began uncertainly, suddenly wondering if her idea was stupid. “Since we had such a good time talking about the Supreme Court the other night, I thought you might like to go to the exhibit that opens this weekend, and then gelato,” she said-asked, her voice rising at the end as she shrugged.

Clearly sensing her discomfort, Regina reached out and rested a hand on her arm. “That sounds lovely. For a third date.”

“Third?”

Regina smiled. “I think, because it’s such a beautiful day and you’ve arrived at lunchtime, that we should have a picnic.”

“I love picnics,” Emma breathed, startled and pleased.

“They’re my favorite,” Regina affirmed.

Then Emma remembered her schedule and winced. “I have a meeting in half an hour. I was just going to pop in. Rain check?”

Regina looked disappointed, but kissed her cheek and said that she’d hold her to it.

**

_July 18_

Emma had a quick consultation with Granny about locations, borrowed a picnic blanket and a basket from Ruby, and then they ordered their favorite lunches and headed off, hand-in-hand, gloriously unbothered by David.

The place they’d been recommended was a short distance into the woods past the Storybrooke cemetery. As advertised, there was a little clearing with a patch of grass, some flowers growing at the edges where there was partial sun, and a nice dry fallen tree to lean against. To go along with it, the day was absolutely perfect, the Maine summer warm without being too hot and the sky a perfect blue with puffy clouds. They chatted easily, talking about all the things they missed about Seattle and were looking forward to about returning, teasing each other when their preferences diverged.

“And what is wrong with kale salad?” Regina demanded, half-amused and half-offended.

“Nothing at all,” Emma assured her. “I mean, if you always wanted to be a woodland creature but never got the chance.”

“Ohhhh,” Regina drawled at the jab, her eyebrow raising dangerously. “You eat like a child.”

“I do not!” Emma objected, then realized she was being petulant. “Fine, let me try it.”

“First you insult my lunch, and now you want some of it, Ms. Swan?” Regina taunted.

“Yes I do, now gimme,” Emma insisted, giggling as she leaned over and made chomping motions.

Something whistled by her and thunked into the wood where she had been leaning seconds before, and she whipped her head around. “An arrow? What the-” A second one came, slicing her side as it went by. “Ah! Fuck!” she exclaimed, startled, terrified, in pain. She looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from and what the hell was happening, but then she realized, “Get behind the log!”

Regina went along readily enough and they scrambled over it and crouched down, trying to peer over the top without exposing themselves to being shot. After a moment, a scruffy blond man dressed in hunting gear came out from the foliage on the other side of the clearing, loading his crossbow again. “It’s more fun for me if you run,” he called. “But I have an honor code. I’ll let you fight me fairly.”

“Says the asshole shooting people with a fucking crossbow,” Emma muttered.

“Hold still,” Regina hissed, pulling up Emma’s shirt to look at where the second shot had grazed her.

Emma pushed her hands away. “Wait until we survive.”

Looking over the log again, Emma saw that the man seemed to be struggling with his weapon, unable to slot the bolt into place as he walked. He stopped to fiddle with it, brow furrowed. She knew it was the only chance she was likely to get. She took a deep breath, then shot a sideways look at Regina. “Love you,” she muttered, then launched herself over the log and ran full-speed at their attacker.

Fortunately, he was not particularly big, and so the force of Emma slamming into him was enough to knock him to the ground. She was on top of him in the next moment, punching with all of her not-insubstantial upper body strength. She got in two or three good hits before he was able to pull the crossbow out from under her knee and smash it into the side of her head.

The world tilted crazily then as she slumped off to his side. She watched, vision edged with black, as Regina leapt on the man, having sneaked up while he was distracted by Emma. From his grimaces, it seemed like Regina was doing some good damage, though she couldn’t really focus over the pounding in her head. But he was bigger and heavier, and soon he had Regina pinned on the ground. They were fighting over the crossbow, and Emma was fighting to keep her eyes open, willing her body to respond, to go help Regina.

The crossbow was between them now, and just as Emma was sliding from consciousness she heard the twang of bowstring and a thump of quarrel into flesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, y'all, there's one more chapter and then a short epilogue. i think i've covered all the bases, but you tell me: what are the questions you still have?


	17. Chapter 17

_July 18_

Emma awoke to lots of voices and flashing lights. She was on a gurney, being wheeled toward an ambulance by a paramedic. Everything was fuzzy except for the pain and one thought. “Regina,” she slurred, and the man pushing her stopped and looked down at her.

“You’re awake,” he greeted pleasantly. “How are you feeling?”

“Regina,” she said again, clearer, with more urgency. “Where’s Regina?”

“Hey, relax,” the man tried to soothe her. “Everything’s fine.”

“Regina!” Emma called out now, struggling to sit up, groaning when she was dramatically reminded of the cut in her side. “Regina where are you?”

“Emma?” There she was, sitting in the passenger seat of a police car wrapped in an industrial blanket. Regina rose, pushing off the hands that reached out to help her, and made her way over to where Emma was. As the older woman got closer, Emma could see that her clothes were covered in blood, and she began frantically trying to get up and go over to her.

“Emma, calm down,” Regina said as she reached her side. “Emma!”

“You’re bleeding! Why isn’t someone taking care of you?” she felt panicky.

“It’s not mine,” Regina said quietly. Oh. _Oh._ Emma reached out her hand to hold Regina’s, wincing at her bruised and scraped knuckles.

“So you’re okay?”

“Far better than you are, my heroic idiot,” Regina smiled, affectionate and exasperated.

Emma chuckled, then winced because it hurt.

**

“We blew it,” Marian said simply, though apologetically, when she came into the room where Emma was being held for observation an hour or so later.

“Ya think?” Emma asked. It was very clear to her that she did not have a concussion, and being stuck here while the experts came to the same conclusion was hard on her mood.  

“Emma,” Regina admonished, then turned to the agent and asked, “What happened?”

“We had bad intel,” Marian shrugged. “We had no idea SwanCo had hired a second assassin as insurance.”

“Okay I gotta ask,” Emma interjected. “What the hell kind of hitman uses a crossbow in the 21st century?”

“It’s his shtick. He makes his kills look like hunting accidents and calls himself Robin Hood,” the agent explained, her mouth twitching with humor.

Regina stared at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“You might too if your mama named you Overton Hoover,” Marian shrugged.

“Fair,” Regina conceded, suppressing a chuckle. “What happens now?”

“You very obviously killed him in self-defense, so you’ll be cleared. And we’ll keep you here a bit longer while we triple-check that this is resolved.”

“Here in the hospital?” Emma whined.

“No, not here in the hospital,” Marian whined back tauntingly. “The doctors have released you, and now that I’m done with you, you can head back to Granny’s.”

**

Emma was in the shower, washing off dirt and hospital smell and adrenaline sweat, when it hit her, and she was pushing vaguely at the handle to turn off the water, stumbling out, wandering naked and dripping into the bedroom where Regina was drying her hair on the bed.

“Emma?” the older woman asked. “Are you alright?”

Overcome, unable to speak, she put a knee on either side of Regina’s hips and just wrapped herself around her, needing to feel her, to know that she was real, that she was alive, that they were both alive. Regina clutched her right back, and soon they were both trembling with suppressed emotion and the knowledge of how close they had come to dying, to losing each other. After many long moments Emma pulled back to look at Regina, cupping her face in both hands, her eyes roaming over her face, drinking her in.

“You’re here,” she breathed.

“I’m here,” Regina affirmed.

“And _I’m_ here,” Emma added.

“You’re here,” came the reply.

“ _We’re_ here,” she said a third time.

“Together. Safe,” Regina answered.

Emma kissed her then, fiercely. Regina made a little noise, surprise or longing or heartache, but kissed back with the same intensity. They pressed close-closer-closest, hands roaming over each other, skin and hair and the hard edges of joints. They never lost contact even as they moved up onto the bed completely so that they could lie against one another full length.

Then Regina pulled away slightly, cupping Emma’s cheek, and looked down at her, eyes wet. “How’s your head?” she asked, her eyes and fingers tracing the bruise at Emma’s temple.

“Fine,” Emma smiled, full of love for this woman.

Regina kissed that bruise and then began to look her over. Next her lips ghosted across the bruise on Emma’s collarbone from driving her shoulder into the assassin. When she got to the cut along Emma’s side, she looked up and met her eyes. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really,” Emma assured her. “Skin deep. That’s why they used liquid Band-Aid instead of gauze and stuff. I shouldn’t do any sit-ups, but I’ll be fine.”

Regina made a strangled little sound between a chuckle and a sob and brushed her lips along the edges of the compound sealing the long, shallow cut. She kissed Emma’s bruised and scraped knees and shins, then noticed the abrasions on her knuckles and kissed each one. Then she looked into Emma’s eyes again, and Emma saw her chin tremble.

“Hey, c’mere,” she murmured, pulling Regina back down on top of her. “I’m here. I’m fine.”

Then Regina was kissing her frantically again, and this time it was Emma’s turn to caress her, soothe her with her solidness. As the moment of desperation passed, she coaxed Regina over onto her back and peeled her out of her pajamas, tracing her battle wounds now. She kissed the bruises on her upper arms “That was where he grabbed me,” Regina murmured.

Then she kissed the bruise and scrape on her hip. “When he threw me off him I landed on a rock.”

She paused, trembling, at the bruise on Regina’s ribs. When she met her eyes, the older woman confirmed in a whisper, “The stock of the crossbow.” She looked down at Regina’s skin as kissed it very, very slowly, needing a moment to compose herself.

In the next moment they were kissing again, side-by side, hands running over each other, slower now, the moment not frantic but heavy, the recognition of near-loss making every second sweeter. Eventually Regina coaxed Emma onto her back again, settling on top of her, their legs intertwining. They melted into kisses, touches, hips beginning to rock together, breathing each other’s breath, not quite knowing where one body ended and the next began. Emma felt herself getting wet, felt Regina’s growing wetness against her thigh, and slid a hand between them to cup the older woman’s cunt just as Regina mirrored the motion.

“Your hand?” Regina asked.

“It’s fine,” Emma assured her, squeezing and rubbing with her palm, loving this intimacy, the pleasure of touching and of being touched feeding back and amplifying one another. They were forehead to forehead looking into one another’s eyes one moment and kissing deeply the next, their fingers stroking and circling, their bodies moving in counterpoint.

“I love you,” Regina breathed.

“And I love you,” Emma answered. She made long, slow strokes with the length of her fingers along Regina’s cunt from clit to opening and back again, adoring every second of silky wet heat. Regina pushed inside her then, drawing a gasp, and she did the same in the next moment, almost overwhelmed by being inside Regina again, sensation and emotion. They caressed each other slowly, adoringly, steadily.

After many long, sweet moments, Emma sped up her touch, stroking faster, but still pushing so deep. Regina moaned and mirrored her, and brought her thumb up onto Emma’s clit. Emma groaned and followed. Soon Regina’s hips were working on Emma’s hand, pressing her thigh against her hand on Emma. They kissed and moaned and kissed and moved together and kissed until their kisses began to be just gasping the same breath, synchronized, intense beyond belief. It was so good, so right, so powerful, and Emma felt her orgasm building, felt Regina’s hips start to jerk as she moved.

Regina came first, and feeling her clench around her fingers sent Emma right along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so with all the questions it looks like Ch 18 might be full size and take a bit longer, but here's this!


	18. Epilogue

_January 31_

“Hey! Man, come on, that box says ‘Fragile,’” Emma complained. The settlement she and Regina had gotten from SwanCo in order that they not do a talk show tour about their near death at the behest of rogue executive Victor Whale had paid to replace all the things the hitmen had destroyed ransacking both their apartments and then some, and she didn’t want this guy destroying the replacements. Just because she had money now didn’t mean it was okay to be careless.

“Are you alright, dear?” Regina asked, coming to the doorway from where she was directing other movers.

“Who sent the flowers?” the blonde asked, suddenly remembering her curiosity as she saw them again on the breakfast bar. She knew it was ridiculous to be slightly suspicious, but she didn’t think she’d be getting over that instinct anytime soon.

“The yellow and red arrangement is a housewarming gift from Belle and Ruby,” Regina explained.

“Both?” During the additional week they had been stuck in Storybrooke, they had spent a lot of time with the two women as a group, and Emma had thought something was sparking back up there.

“Yes,” Regina confirmed, “and based on the card they seem to attribute having rekindled their relationship to us.”

Emma shrugged innocence, then changed the subject, “What about the other ones?”

“Agent Nolan,” Regina said, smirking a little at her surprise.

“He really turned out alright after all, huh?” David had been the one to find them, Regina pinned down by the assassin’s bleeding body and Emma unconscious. He had suddenly put the pieces together: “Robin Hood” spotted on surveillance video entering the U.S. from Canada, realizing that SwanCo had bribed an agent to expose Storybrooke, and tracing the transfer to Overton Hoover’s account back to the VP of Legal at SwanCo. He had come to their room to warn them immediately, and set out after them when he realized they’d gone right to where Hood would be lurking.

“Indeed he did,” Regina agreed.

“They’re really nice, too,” Emma noticed, walking closer to the arrangement to admire them, only to stop and stare at a new but very familiar piece of furniture. She turned to Regina, smirking. “You bought the bench?”

Regina raised a nonchalant eyebrow. “It was a steal,” she insisted. “It had been in the gallery forever. We needed the floor space and the artist was glad to be rid of it.”

“Just when I happen to be moving into your house,” Emma deadpanned. “You can ask me to move in with you by saying you’re not enjoying not having me around all the time, Regina Mills, but you don’t fool me. You’re sentimental,” she insisted, grinning at Regina. “And I love it.”

“Says the woman who asked for visitation on the strapless dildo and buttplug because we bought them together and should have joint custody,” Regina hissed back after checking for movers in earshot.

“So sentimental,” Emma insisted, ignoring the taunt. “And yet you completely disrespect the sentimental value of my Bug and call it a metal coffin on wheels.” She shook her head in playful disapproval.

“It was a car bomb!” Regina scoffed.

“Which the FBI cleared long before we got home,” Emma sassed back. The agency had also arrested Mal and she was currently awaiting trial. Marian had told them Mal’s mafia compatriots were furious that she had used their resources and gotten the attention of the FBI on a personal vendetta, and so they had refused to post bail. She also let them know that Gold’s son, being generally a decent guy who made a bad decision in the name of family, had rolled over on him and was preparing to testify about all his shady dealings.

“Uh, ma’am?” the lead mover asked, paused in the doorway with a box. “Should we just put things anywhere?”

Emma winced. “I’m sorry, let me come help. Just a sec.”

**

They’d had sex innumerable times at Regina’s house in the six months since their return from Storybrooke, but it felt very different to Emma now that it was _their_ house. Together. The moment was intense, just as it had been after they’d survived the assassination attempt, but also giddy with new beginnings. And so as they kissed feverishly after getting out of the shower, Emma murmured, “Let’s go christen that bench.”

“Emma,” Regina began to object.

“I’ll bring a towel, but come on, it’s where we started,” Emma cajoled.

Regina tried her best to look skeptical while fighting a smile, then turned and headed for the living room, calling back over her shoulder, “If we’re going to go back to the start you’d better get on your knees for me.”

When Emma rolled her eyes back down out of the back of her head and followed her, seeing Regina standing beside the bench—her eyes demanding to be fucked right now and just right, just like the first time—took her breath away. The blonde was placing the towel and scooping the older woman up to lay her down on it and pulling her thighs over her shoulders in the next breath.

“God, yes,” Regina breathed, then bit her lip.

Emma smiled up at her, and then dragged her eyes down her body on the way to admire her pussy, already glistening in the warm lamplight. She licked her lips in anticipation.

“I want you,” Regina insisted.

“Greedy, greedy,” Emma teased, leaning down and breathing hotly on slick flesh. “But so am I,” she conceded, pressing her face against Regina, rubbing her lips and chin and cheeks on her cunt.

Regina smiled down at her and hummed, “That’s right. Everything.” Emma groaned at the older woman’s desire, then began licking her in long, slow, firm strokes. That made Regina tangle fingers in her hair and breathe, “Yes, god, I love your tongue on me.”

Emma grinned, then began flicking Regina’s clit with the tip of her tongue fast and light, making the older woman moan loudly and start moving her hips searching for more. “There's my good responsive girl, getting her pussy all over me,” she groaned, because god damn she loved the way Regina fucked her face.

Soon she began sucking her clit, swirling her tongue, pulling a “Nnh!” from Regina as her fingers clutched hard at the finely carved wood of the bench. Emma fluttered her tongue and stared up at Regina in awe, wonder, love, drinking her in as she gasped and groaned and clutched and rocked her hips hungrily. God, she was perfect, and when Emma’s moan of pure want vibrated against Regina’s clit the older woman gasped, “Fuck!”

Now Emma hummed and swirled, sucked and flicked, faster, more intently, harder, hungrier, and Regina was pushing her face against her now, making loud, throaty moans, gripping her hard and grinding against her, her body tensing and arching, perfect and beautiful.  

And then she was coming, shuddering hard, crying out.

As Regina collapsed back onto the bench, eyes closed, trembling hard, she panted, “Again. Together. Get the cock.”

God, but her insistence on orchestrating the next orgasm while still finishing the first had Emma impossibly wetter. She went immediately to the hanging organizer and retrieved what had become their favorite toy, as many happy hours of experimentation had proved it reliably made them both come very, very hard.

Emma returned to the room in time to see Regina open her eyes and pin her with a hungry gaze. Walking over, she set the toy down and offered both hands to help Regina up, only to have her scoff and rise with a feline grace that would be startling if it wasn’t so attractive and familiar.

“Put it on and sit,” Regina murmured, looking her up and down. The blonde gladly did, and when Regina straddled her lap in the next moment her hands immediately found the older woman’s hips and ass. They kissed slow and deep, but a little too needy to quite be sweet. Emma ran her hands over all of Regina, delighting in the shiver she invoked by stroking fingertips up her spine. Then she slid both hands back to the older woman’s hips, digging her fingers in just a bit, making Regina’s hips jerk against the toy between them as she groaned, “Mhh.”

Next Emma scratched her nails lightly up Regina’s side, her ribs, the sides of her breasts, until the older woman demanded, “Touch me.” Emma hummed and cupped both breasts, stroking her thumbs over her nipples. “Mmnh,” Regina approved, kissing her hungrily, rolling her hips against the toy as Emma rolled her nipples between her fingers.

“Nnnnhh,” Emma groaned into her mouth. She loved when Regina kissed her like that. In the next moment, Regina was sliding a hand down between them, gripping the base of the toy, pulling, stroking, working it against Emma inside and out, and now the blonde had to break the kiss to moan. God, Regina felt so good, toy inside her and breasts in her hands and, as Emma kissed her hard and deep again, mouth on her mouth.

Then Regina shifted her hips and took the toy in, slow but easy. Emma could feel the pressure, but she could also feel the heat of Regina getting closer and closer to her own until they settled together, joined by the toy. And when Regina began to ride her, the toy pushing and pulling against her, Emma had to break the kiss to take a long, shuddering breath and try to contain herself. Regina rode her slowly, making both of them feel every tiny motion, and Emma was digging fingertips into her flexing hips already.

“Fuck me,” Regina commanded, and god, she needed her, her hips beginning to move, her hands adding to Regina’s motion, and it felt so good.  Soon Regina switched to a grinding motion that worked the toy inside them both, and Emma began to moan uncontrollably. God, the way this woman fucked her. So good. So fucking good.

Regina’s motions grew faster, more aggressive, insisting on her pleasure. Soon all Emma could do was hold on and shudder as she got closer and closer, watching the ecstasy racing across Regina’s face as she rode the toy.

Then she was coming, too hard to make a sound, fighting to keep her eyes locked with Regina until she came moments later, jerking out of her rhythm.

**

In bed that night, Emma realized suddenly that this was now _their_ bed. The thought made her gasp.

“What?” Regina murmured from where her head rested on Emma’s chest. The older woman was draped over her exactly the way that lined her spine up right.

Tipping her head to look her in the eye, Emma chuckled to see Regina trying to raise a skeptical eyebrow but a little too sleep- and orgasm-drunk to quite succeed. “Just happy to be here, is all.”

Regina hummed acknowledgement, but didn’t speak. “And I love you,” Emma added.

The older woman didn’t reply, and another peek showed her face smoothed out into sleep. Emma felt utterly content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks. Thanks so much for coming along on this wild ride with me, reading and kudos-ing and commenting all the way. Special thanks to my fic buddy, who always tells me when I manage to make her read in Lana's voice.


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